Customer Reviews

How to Save a Life

5 star:		(119)
4 star:		(43)
3 star:		(13)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(14)

 

 

...But I get the feeling we're gonna be hearing a lot of these guys very soon.

The Fray are one of those rare bands that comes along who instantly stick in your head and force you to fall in love. To best describe their style, you could say they sound like a combination between Coldplay and Jimmy Eat World. But that description simply doesn't do their music justice. You could compare them to a thousand bands, and never quite hit the nail on the head. The fact of the matter is, The Fray play pure, honest rock music with heart.

My first experience with The Fray was seeing them open up for Weezer this past July. Having not heard a single note of theirs before the concert, I had no idea what to expect. But as soon as they kicked in with the first song, "She Is" (which is also the first song here), I knew I had just discovered something very special. After the concert, I picked up a copy of "The Reason" EP (which is rather hard to come by otherwise) and listened to it twice over the ride home and I was hooked. With those seven songs and the single "Over My Head (Cable Car)" (which had an odd position on the "Stealth" soundtrack) being the only things to feast on, I was very anxious for this release. I had high hopes for this album, the kinds of hopes that were just asking to be crushed.

But one listen to this CD, just like their live show, and I was sold. Aside from the production being better than "The Reason," the overall sound and feel of "How To Save A Life" is drastically improved. The material here isn't as dark and the songs are a little more traditional. If you've heard "Over My Head" and you enjoy it, I highly recommend buying this album. Each and every song has something special, each song has an instantly memorable chorus. Any song on this album could very well be a hit single, that's how strong it is! "All At Once," "Fall Away" and the previously mentioned "She Is" and "Over My Head" are the kind of songs that will instantly suck you in. Meanwhile, the more subtle and beautiful title track and the painfully sweet ballad "Look After You" creep into your head and will have you randomly humming throughout your daily routine. "Look After You" is easily my pick as the standout song. I don't usually dig the sappy stuff, but this song has so much meaning behind it, one look at the lyrics will send shivers down your spine. But then again, a lot of The Fray's music will have that effect on you!

I hate to sound like someone who is just raving, but this is seriously the best album to come along this year. It's 100 percent heartfelt, honest and original. It's very rare that something this pure comes along. I would really be surprised if this album didn't hit and The Fray didn't go on to bigger things. "How To Save A Life" is the kind of album anyone who loves music can enjoy.

I watched The Fray open for Ben Folds at Furman University last fall and was blown away. The vocals, lyrics, and musicianship were superb and when I heard "Over My Head (Cable Car)" for the first time, I became an immediate fan. Here is my review for How to Save A Life:

1. She Is- This fast-paced tune is a solid opener for the album. Lead singer Isaac Slide's vocals are instantly likeable. 8.5/10
2. Over My Head (Cable Car)- This song was originally called Cable Car but was changed to "Over My Head" in order to make the song name more recognizable. This song started out as my favorite and still is. The piano is amazing, the vocals are incredible, and I love the lyrics. 10/10
3. How to Save A Life- A slower song which picks up a little ways into the song. Very good song and great chorus. 9/10
4. All At Once- Great lyrics in this one as Slide talks about how sometimes one has to make hard decisions in a relationship. 8.5/10
5. Fall Away- I love this song and it's a close 2nd to Cable Car. Great backup vocals in this one. 9.75/10
6. Heaven Forbid- Not spectacular but still is a great addition to the album. Isaac changes keys in this one a few times which is pretty cool. 8/10
7. Look After You- I remember The Fray performing this song when I saw them live and it was incredible. When Isaac sang the chorus, he included the crowd singing without instruments and it was incredible. 9.5/10
8. Hundred- A slower song which is very nice, but not a standout. 8/10
9. Vienna- My favorite slower song on the album. The lyrics are very sad and talk about how there is "Really no way to reach me, cause i'm already gone." 9.5
10. Dead Wrong- I like the chord progression on the piano in this one a lot. A great song. 9/10
11. Little House- The shortest song on the album ups the tempo a little bit from the previous couple of songs. Sweet. 8.5/10
12. Trust Me- I love his voice on this one and it is showcased throughout. Average song with great vocals and a good closer to a great debut. 8/10

This is a great first record from The Fray and I can only hope that their followup album will continue to improve on this debut.

Overall: 8.9/10, 5 Stars.

If you like songs that tug at your heart, make you think, make you cry, make you remember, or if you just like that melancholy sound then you will love this cd.

I first heard the song "How to save a life" on Grey's Anatomy and I was hooked.
I didn't go right out and by the cd because I didn't want to waste my money like I have in the past.

You know the story... You fall in love with a song, go buy the cd and that one song was the only good song on the whole cd and the rest just suck.

Well this was not the case.
I went on Rhapsody and listened to the cd a few times and I loved almost every song right away.

So if you like the slower sound of music with some powerful lyrics GET THIS CD!

If you're like me you've been wondering when a pop/rock album was going to come out that wasn't completely boring and unoriginal. Keane put me to sleep, new Coldplay sounds like old Colplay, and Matchbox 20 gave up. Don't even get me started on that Daniel Powter, American Idol crap. Just when I was about to put on a Ben Folds record and slash my wrists(the only sensible thing to do), here comes The Fray. Hooky but not hokey, catchy but not contagious, The Fray's debut has just the right kind of variety and believability to restore my confidence that every once in a while a good band gets overused on TV shows and radio promos. I won't go into a track-by-track, so let's just say that they mix up their styles and tempos, and tug at all the right heartstrings. They're a little like Something Corporate, but without all that annoying MySpace college emo attitude. If you've been looking for a cd you can put in that will please your artistic sensibilities while managing to sate your girlfriend's need for songs that she heard on her favorite dramas, then don't turn to Howie Day, jump into the Fray.

It's been a few weeks since I bought this CD, and while many of the songs I immediately loved, some took a little re-listening. Now, several weeks later, I am very glad I bought this CD and am quite impressed with The Fray!

The nice thing about The Fray is that they have a unique voice and song style. You will not have 25 other CDs in your collection that sound the same as this one, nor are the songs the type of song everyone writes. Since I bought the CD it's pretty much been in my CD player the whole time, can't get enough of it! I recommend buyers take a chance with these newbies!

Late last year, the Fray was a band that no one seemed to have ever heard of. Through time, however, they got enough acclaim to shoot them themselves to the top of the Billboard Heatseekers chart. But now, thanks to the success of "Over My Head (Cable Car)", everyone went to check out How to Save a Life to see what this Denver-based foursome is all about.

I understand all the three-star (and the editorial) reviews that state that most of the songs sound the same, although I don't agree with them 100%. But "Over My Head" is the only song on here that really stands out, although the final two tracks ("Little House" and "Trust Me") come in at a close second and third. There are a couple of songs that don't make sense, namely "Vienna" and especially "Hundred".

Another thing is that lead singer Isaac Slade has the kind of voice that gets a little irritating for an entire album. While I don't think the guys in the Fray are quite as good as Coldplay or Keane (I love both of those bands, but damn; are those the ONLY two bands people use as comparisons any more?), How to Save a Life is still a nice album to mellow out to.

Anthony Rupert

It is so hard to describe this band...its very odd when a sort of sound comes along like that and you just CANT say they sound like one band...if I were to do any sort of comparrison, I'd say his voice sounds like John Mellencampp with a little John Mayer and maybe Chris Martin from Coldplay...while the music sounds like Coldplay mixed with Hootie and the Blowfish mixed with some of Mayer's music...

I came across this cd about 2 weeks ago and I admit that the only reason I had burned it to my computer ( via a friend's copy of the cd ) was because "over my head." But if you really listen to this cd, it is remarkably pure and honest. It's as if you really feel like everything he's singing about and he's sitting beside you at a bar, telling you all about it...

This cd has many standouts including the stirring "How To Save A Life" and the humm along "Fall Away." Other really good tracks on this album include,"All At Once","Little House",amd "Look After You."

All in all, this is a remarkable cd to have. I was mostly impressed with how you can just press play and let it keep going. And after the last song finishes and the first song starts again, you just let it be and listen to it again. No two songs on this album are the same and it is definately a great buy. Just wait, we'll hear these guys soon....

I heard The Fray's track "Over My Head" in the movie Stealth, and later listened to it on VH1's You Oughta Know section and immediately left to go buy the CD. This track and many others really spoke to things that I myself was dealing with in life currently but not in an overly sappy way. Just simply touching. The music industry seems to have fallen strongly upon the "emo" genre of whining melancholy ballads, but The Fray has meaningful and emotional songs without being sickeningly maudlin. I've found many of the lyrics of their songs have become little mantras of mine, such as in "Heaven Forbid" when I'm having relationship problems I pop it in and hear "Heaven forbid you end up alone and don't know why. Hold on tight, wait for tomorrow, you'll be alright." Simple lyrics that are honest and eloquent enough to satisfy not only teenagers, but adults too I've found. A really really good buy, I'd recommend this CD to everyone.

'How to save a life' is one of the most refreshing albums to be released this year. The Fray has the charisma of Coldplay and catchiness of Keane. Their music is so melody driven that it's hard not to find every song catchy. The foundation of this album is the amazing melodious songs presented with beautiful arrangements. Their music relies heavily on piano arrangements, however the musical arrangements are very diverse, some are very simple with just the piano, some are very dark and epic and laden with string work and some are more commercial sounding. However, no matter what direction they decide to take with a song, they do it with immense talent and the songs produced are rather outstanding. The vocalist also has an amazing voice and he sings with great emotion and passion.

Some of the stand-out tracks include: 'Over My Head' (a great upbeat and catchy track), 'How to save a life' (an amazing mid-tempo track with a great chorus and piano arrangement), 'Fall Away' (a great track with an urgent chorus and magnificent intro), 'Heaven forbid' (a nice mid-tempo track with a beautiful chorus), 'Look After You' (a superb laid-back track with an amazing climax, one of the best songs on the album), 'Hundred' (a neat piano-only ballad with a nice chorus), 'Vienna' (a nice melancholy track), 'Dead Wrong' (an pleasant upbeat track with an urgent chorus) 'Trust Me' (an absolutely amazing melancholy song, one of the best songs on the album).

Some of the tracks on the album had some very commercial arrangements and managed to be rather decent tracks, however, I think their forte seems to be more the emotional arrangements which are rather dark and melancholy. The commercial sound just doesn't do them or their songs much justice and doesn't seem to distinguish them; it more seems to make them blend in better with every other band out there. While they manage to achieve a balance between being commercial and emotional, the beautiful melodies of their songs are accentuated better with the melodramatic musical arrangements.

This is truly an astounding album and even though it might not be perfect, it is an album of good music that is worth listening to. This album is highly recommended to anyone who enjoys melodious music, it will not disappoint.

Back in late 2004, I heard a radio station play a song simply titled "Cable Car". After one listen, I fell in love. I went out and immediatly bought their EP "Reason", which sealed the deal. Ever since I've been craving something new. Then "How To Save A Life" was released.

This album is one of the best albums I've listened to in years. Every track could be a potential single, compared to the normal CD where you can tell which tracks they will release. The CD roars with powerful vocals from lead vocalist/pianist Isaac Slade, as well as incredible melodies from Joe King (guitar/vocals), Dave Welsh (guitar) and Ben Wysocki (drums).

Every song on the album is beautiful and I can't find one dissapointing track on it. I was going to list my favorites off the album, but looking at it, I can't find one that I wouldn't include. If I did have to single out three, I would pick "Little House", "How To Save a Life" and "Trust Me". "Little House" really shows that The Fray aren't limited to ballads and definitly have a edgier side just waiting to come out. "How To Save a Life" is a powerful ballad that portrays Slade's experience of mentoring a crack-addicted teen. It's an extremely emotional song that really pulls at your heart. "Trust Me" is another powerful song that really focuses on Slade's vocals and shines as a wonderful close to a wonderful CD.

I could compare The Fray to the likes of Coldplay and Something Corporate, but it wouldn't do them justice. They are one of the most unique bands I've had the pleasure of listening to. I can not willingly give this CD anything lower than a 10/10 (or 5 stars out of 5 stars). If you don't know who they are, you will shortly. Within a year, The Fray have gone from nothing to selling out 2,000 capacity venues in the Colorado area. I suspect that in another year, The Fray will be a truely succesfull band throughout the entire US.

If you like this CD, try and find a copy of the Reason EP, which also includes an early version of Vienna. You can also find special editions of Reason that include early versions of Over My Head (Cable Car) and Heaven Forbid.