12-02-2012, 14:40
online listen
that Chris Martin falsetto is the only thing that grabs me with these guys
too much sameness
sort of a letdown
1.6 from me and a converted 1.8 from the pros at allmusic
from the album - Heartbeat
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hp0_2fjPlbM
released Feb 7th, 2012
![[Image: r15226vflt6.jpg]](http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/drr100/r152/r15226vflt6.jpg)
Bio - from allmusic
By pitching their music somewhere between the arena-friendly style of U2 and the mature pop/rock of bands like
Maroon 5 and Counting Crows, the Fray rose to commercial prominence with their 2005 debut, How to Save a Life. The
Denver-based band had formed three years prior, when former schoolmates Isaac Slade (vocals, piano) and Joe King
(guitar, vocals) unexpectedly bumped into each other at a local music store. The pair began a series of two-man jam
sessions and soon expanded their lineup with two of Slade's former bandmates, drummer Ben Wysocki and guitarist
David Welsh. Slade's younger brother, Caleb, also joined the band for a stint but was ultimately asked to leave;
the resulting rift between the two siblings would later inspire the band's first hit single, "Over My Head (Cable
Car)." After issuing the Movement EP in 2002, the quartet gained the support of Denver's KTCL radio station with a
follow-up release, 2003's Reason EP. As the Fray's airplay increased alongside their local profile (Westword, a
Denver alternative weekly publication, deemed them "Best New Band" in 2004), they began attracting attention from
Epic Records. The label ultimately signed the band in December 2004, and the Fray toured alongside Weezer and Ben
Folds the following summer.
How to Save a Life was released in September 2005, and "Over My Head (Cable Car)" found a quick home on modern rock
radio. By early 2006, it had crossed over to Top 40 chart status, peaking at number eight and whetting the public's
appetite for another hit. The Fray responded by releasing the album's title track, which was heavily used in a
promotional campaign for the TV series Grey's Anatomy and quickly became one of 2006's biggest singles. "How to
Save a Life" was a worldwide smash, reaching the Top Ten in the U.S. (where it continued to chart for 58
consecutive weeks) and peaking at number one in Bulgaria, Ireland, Canada, and Spain. By the time the smoke had
cleared, the Fray's debut had been certified double-platinum in the U.S. and was declared the best-selling digital
album of all time.
As How to Save a Life continued to enjoy worldwide chart success, the live album Live at the Electric Factory was
released in selected independent stores in July 2006. The Fray re-released their Reason EP the following year while
continuing to tour, occasionally playing new material at their high-profile shows. The band also found time to
return to the recording studio, and 2009 saw the release of their self-titled sophomore effort, The Fray. The
Frayâs third studio outing was produced by Brendan OâBrien and was inspired by the groupâs trips to Rwanda and
Germany. The resulting Scars and Stories, which was named after an unused B-side, was preceded by the single
âHeartbeatâ and released on February 7, 2012.
Album Review - from allmusic
Upgrading to Brendan O'Brien, the producer who came to fame via his work with Stone Temple Pilots and Pearl Jam,
the Fray have never sounded better on record than they do on their third album, Scars & Stories. It's not that
they've changed their template -- they still rely on a chilly, atmospheric blend of Coldplay's balladeering and Rob
Thomas' rock, tempered by a dash of the urgency of 3 Doors Down -- but O'Brien helps them articulate their ideas,
giving them definition and muscle, attributes that are appealing when the songs lack distinct hooks. Certainly,
this shimmering, assured pulse assists the Fray whenever they don't have a song as compelling as "How to Save a
Life," and if they rely a little bit too heavily on O'Brien's incomparable skills, it is a maneuver that means
Scars & Stories will satisfy most Fray fans.
Track Listing
1. Heartbeat
2. The Fighter
3. Turn Me On
4. Run for Your Life
5. The Wind
6. 1961
7. I Can Barely Say
8. Munich
9. Here We Are
10. 48 to Go
11. Rainy Zurich
12. Be Still
that Chris Martin falsetto is the only thing that grabs me with these guys
too much sameness
sort of a letdown
1.6 from me and a converted 1.8 from the pros at allmusic
from the album - Heartbeat
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hp0_2fjPlbM
released Feb 7th, 2012
Bio - from allmusic
By pitching their music somewhere between the arena-friendly style of U2 and the mature pop/rock of bands like
Maroon 5 and Counting Crows, the Fray rose to commercial prominence with their 2005 debut, How to Save a Life. The
Denver-based band had formed three years prior, when former schoolmates Isaac Slade (vocals, piano) and Joe King
(guitar, vocals) unexpectedly bumped into each other at a local music store. The pair began a series of two-man jam
sessions and soon expanded their lineup with two of Slade's former bandmates, drummer Ben Wysocki and guitarist
David Welsh. Slade's younger brother, Caleb, also joined the band for a stint but was ultimately asked to leave;
the resulting rift between the two siblings would later inspire the band's first hit single, "Over My Head (Cable
Car)." After issuing the Movement EP in 2002, the quartet gained the support of Denver's KTCL radio station with a
follow-up release, 2003's Reason EP. As the Fray's airplay increased alongside their local profile (Westword, a
Denver alternative weekly publication, deemed them "Best New Band" in 2004), they began attracting attention from
Epic Records. The label ultimately signed the band in December 2004, and the Fray toured alongside Weezer and Ben
Folds the following summer.
How to Save a Life was released in September 2005, and "Over My Head (Cable Car)" found a quick home on modern rock
radio. By early 2006, it had crossed over to Top 40 chart status, peaking at number eight and whetting the public's
appetite for another hit. The Fray responded by releasing the album's title track, which was heavily used in a
promotional campaign for the TV series Grey's Anatomy and quickly became one of 2006's biggest singles. "How to
Save a Life" was a worldwide smash, reaching the Top Ten in the U.S. (where it continued to chart for 58
consecutive weeks) and peaking at number one in Bulgaria, Ireland, Canada, and Spain. By the time the smoke had
cleared, the Fray's debut had been certified double-platinum in the U.S. and was declared the best-selling digital
album of all time.
As How to Save a Life continued to enjoy worldwide chart success, the live album Live at the Electric Factory was
released in selected independent stores in July 2006. The Fray re-released their Reason EP the following year while
continuing to tour, occasionally playing new material at their high-profile shows. The band also found time to
return to the recording studio, and 2009 saw the release of their self-titled sophomore effort, The Fray. The
Frayâs third studio outing was produced by Brendan OâBrien and was inspired by the groupâs trips to Rwanda and
Germany. The resulting Scars and Stories, which was named after an unused B-side, was preceded by the single
âHeartbeatâ and released on February 7, 2012.
Album Review - from allmusic
Upgrading to Brendan O'Brien, the producer who came to fame via his work with Stone Temple Pilots and Pearl Jam,
the Fray have never sounded better on record than they do on their third album, Scars & Stories. It's not that
they've changed their template -- they still rely on a chilly, atmospheric blend of Coldplay's balladeering and Rob
Thomas' rock, tempered by a dash of the urgency of 3 Doors Down -- but O'Brien helps them articulate their ideas,
giving them definition and muscle, attributes that are appealing when the songs lack distinct hooks. Certainly,
this shimmering, assured pulse assists the Fray whenever they don't have a song as compelling as "How to Save a
Life," and if they rely a little bit too heavily on O'Brien's incomparable skills, it is a maneuver that means
Scars & Stories will satisfy most Fray fans.
Track Listing
1. Heartbeat
2. The Fighter
3. Turn Me On
4. Run for Your Life
5. The Wind
6. 1961
7. I Can Barely Say
8. Munich
9. Here We Are
10. 48 to Go
11. Rainy Zurich
12. Be Still
