Customer Reviews

For The Birds

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

the frames are a best-kept-secret type of band. your friend lends you one of their albums, you wonder why you've never heard of them before, and you go to see a gig. usually, at the point where you've been to the gig, you realise, whoaaaa.... believe me, this is not some dull-indie-rock-experience, that you have to pretend you orgasmed at, just to keep your underground credibility: this is the real 'it'.
'for the birds' is the high point in a series of albums that didn't look like they could be surpassed. each song is remarkable. this is one of those rare albums that don't leave you occasionally motioning towards the 'skip' button. the sheer craft and tension and balance of everything in it, renders it one of those simply as-close-to-perfect experiences. from the tenderness of 'what happens when the heart just stops', to the edginess of 'early bird', or the bruised tone of 'friends and foe', to the slow-building dynamics of 'santa maria', this album is singularly capable of articulating every emotion, with just the right mixture of truth, reality and dreaming.
in short, when you buy this album, you're not (just) doing the band a favour, and you're not choosing something on mere grounds of it being underground: instead, you're making a decision that will give you something to REALLY listen to, and in a weird way, these songs will almost listen back.

Having never heard of this band, and buying this album on the back of hearing a snippet of "lay me down" (the single from the album) I had reason to be concerned for the [money]I shelled out.

Yet this album repayed me in full, and will do the same for all who buy. Swinging from melancholy to cheery folk (Irish folk it seems) the tunes are meticulously created and yet the themes and emotion of the lyrics are not lost in the production. I guess its polished and raw all in one. Curious aren't you.

Many of the songs have a relationship-theme base to them, but they are still beautiful, and all unique. "What Happens when the heart just stops" and "disappointed" are the real heartbreak anthems, while "early bird" will catch you immediately, as will the occasionally-played-on-radio ticket "lay me down".

A mature and praiseworthy effort by a band that (as i only found out recently) has been together for some time. Buy it.

When I first heard of The Frames, I was lucky enough to see them live last year opening for Damien Rice in Portland. And I was floored when the first song they played was "Friends and Foes." The power that song had still stays with me. Now one year later, and three albums of theirs later, they are still one of my favorite bands, and I was able to see them perform again almost exactly a year later. If you don't have this album, go get it! The vocals are great, the music is wonderful.

In the liner notes, the Frames say that this is the first album they've done where they didn't have to "cater" to anyone outside the band. The result is a brilliant record that maintains the high points of the previous albums, while pushing the envelope a bit with longer songs, less "commercial" arrangements, etc.

Their previous album, 'Dance the Devil,' was one of my faves of last year, fitting well under the generic Radiohead/Doves/Coldplay umbrella. With 'For the Birds' they've taken the general feel of the last record and expanded it, making it a bit more adventurous, if less radio-friendly. They've crafted something that manages to be sometimes noisy, sometimes sedate, but always beautiful. In fact, on this record the Frames often achieve a blend of both 'noise' and beauty in the same song, a feat that not many bands can boast of. Several of the tunes start small and gentle, and build to big and strident, but the wonderful thing is that they don't lose their beauty in the process. (This aspect of "For the Birds" reminds me in some ways of Red House Painters, and I think that fans of that band will find much to like here.)

Other tunes start small or big and stay that way. That's one of the fun things about this record -- trying to predict from the opening bars where each song is going to go. In any case, it's a great record and one that all fans of any of the above-mentioned bands, and anyone else for that matter, should give a listen to. The song "Headlong" is one of the best songs of the year, in my opinion, and it alone is worth the price of the album.

Where FITZCARRALDO marked their coming of age and DANCE THE DEVIL proved they can rock, FOR THE BIRDS reveals an emotional and songwriting depth which should have elevated The Frames to the critical and commercial acclaim bands such as Coldplay, Travis, and Radiohead enjoy. So why do so few outside the U.K. and isolated parts of the Czech Republic and Australia know about this album? Or this band, for that matter? With help from Steve Albini, but mostly self-produced and recorded, The Frames' For the Birds begins with the dreamlike "In the Deep Shade" with Rachel Grimes (of The Rachels) providing exquisite piano work. Their single "Lay me Down" proves infectious while "What Happens When the Heart Just Stops", "Headlong", and "Disappointed" explore some of the less warm and fuzzy aspects of love. The songs alternate from delicate and wistful ("Friends and Foe") to hard-hitting and uplifting ("Early Bird"). The glue that holds it all together is Glen Hansard, whose voice alternates from an intimate whisper to a defiant howl. This is a great album, and its music indicates The Frames, no matter how many people ultimately hear them, have fulfilled their artistic potential on their own terms. And from what it looks like, they'll be around for a long time. Highly recommended.

I saw them at an in store session at the Tower Records in Dublin this past spring and bought the album then. It has been in my cd player ever since. Songs are slow and soulful with brash and loud mixed in. This album won't get radio play but is a must have if you are a fan of David Gray or Coldplay or any band that mixes great lyrics with melodies to match.

the first time i listened to this i totally didn't dig it. needless to say that it's one of my favorites now. every song is sonically beautiful and the lyrics are strong. you can put this in no matter what kind of mood you are in and enjoy it. not a five star but certainly a 4.5. fyi - saw them live finally, believe the hype; best live band in music.

This Cd is simply amazing. I started on the frames listening to "Set List" (live album). There studio work is simply jaw-dropping. Songs like "What happens when the heart stops", "giving me wings" and "friends and foe" are all wonderfull sad pieces. the lyrics on all these songs are also brilliant--its not soppy country style drivel and its not cryptic suicide either. It has a nice poetic sting much like something from a robert frost poem.

All in all this is one of the greatest albums ever. dont miss out.

I haven't written a review here in a couple years, but I just had to give this album the praise it deserves. Few albums in my (very large) collection are as wonderful as this one. Every...EVERY...song is beautiful. Since I bought it I've listened to it every day at work, and sometimes when it ends I press play and listen to it again. I plan on getting copies for my family and friends; I can't imagine anyone I know not liking it.

......Santa Maria...an incredible cut on this CD. I am so glad I discovered this group, I love this!