Album Review: The Fray; How to Save a Life

Perhaps some of you remember The Fray's hit single last year, "Over My Head (Cable Car)". It's success on pop-rock radio paved the way for their debut album, How to Save a Life, which hit stores last month. With twelve tracks, including the aforementioned single, How to Save a Life makes for a decent road trip set. Its clear lyrics and slower, soft melodies make it an easy follow for one to sing along to. That being said, I am sorry to say that I'm not terribly impressed with this album. Granted, I've not been a huge fan of the pop-rock genre since my high school days. It's too simplistic in its message and lacks a complexity of the vocal-instrumental dynamic I've come to expect from music classified as rock. With a few notable exceptions, The Fray doesn't deviate from the standards of this genre. From start to end, the album doesn't vary much in tempo or voice, causing tracks to run together and leaving few as exceptionally memorable. I think my major complaint with this album is that there is nothing in particular which grabs my attention and makes me sit back and say, "hey! There's something new".

Keeping this in mind, How to Save a Life certainly has potential. There is a certain soul to the lyrics that shows awareness in the artists of the world around them and the paths that they lead in life. The inclusion of the piano in all of their songs, while becoming quite common these days, is definitely a great move. It compliments Front man Isaac Slade's voice wonderfully and creates a haunting, melancholy effect. With modular control that most singers today would kill for, The Fray have some great vocal potential that I would love to hear them do more with. Sadly, at this point, the band is still too young to risk deviating from their comfort zone.

I have no doubt that with time The Fray will grow into their own, but for now, it feels like they're still getting comfortable with their art and are playing things safe. I'd be interested in seeing how some of their music comes across in a live setting. The Fray is more the type of band I'd want to hear playing in a dark, cool coffee house, rather than on the radio at the office or over the loudspeakers at the gym. There are a couple exceptions though. "All At Once" picks up the beat to a point that easily bridges venues, while "Vienna" is almost ballad-like in its scope, with some really great guitar playing that you've really just got to listen to with headphones to truly appreciate. This only convinces me more that The Fray will definitely be a group to keep my eye on for the future. For now though, I would suggest that unless you're a strong fan of pop-rock, save your money on the CD and catch these guys at a live performance instead.

3 out of 5

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