he fragile gleam of a desert campfire
cramped against the sky. Glen Hasnard’s parched voice has a way of speaking
to it. He summons the light out of distance, leagues of sand and the grotesque
mockery of the miles. And, that oasis, that crackled spark that swallows
the horizon and quickens his pace, that pumping flame in the distance,
well, Hasnard has approached it for you with The Frames’ latest record,
Burn the Maps.
Their first studio effort in over
three years, Burn the Maps finds the Frames replacing lead guitarist Dave
Odlum with Rob Bochnik, a former recording engineer, and sans Dave Hingerty
on drums. Of course, for the Frames, all these myriad changes are their
normalcy; the band has garnered as much critical notoriety over the years
for changing line-ups and record labels as it has for its suffocating sound.
For all of that, as long as they lead with Hasnard as songwriter/vocalist
and Colm Mac Con Iomaire as violinist, their continuity remains intact.
Hasnard sometimes sounds like the frontman for a metal band, drugged and
sedated with the weight of his broken spirit and forced to adjust to the
circumstance. His voice drags his songs as by a leash, tugging and releasing
at each corner and half-stop. On Burn the Maps, an album for album lovers
if there ever was one, the sort of record which lacking a single inclusion
or pumped past the breaking point with one more aching moment, would never
hold under the strain, he’s concentrated his angst and jagged pain into
a statement that refuses solace.
The album moves in gasps and groans,
with a steady flow to its twelve songs that weaves together like a symphony.
Not so much bend-and-don’t-break as fracture-and-heal-yourself-anew, their
songs press the pressure points behind their transitions. Rarely content
to slip under the pull of fast/slow dynamics, as a simple dichotomy at
least, the Frames seem to know just when to let you in on the secret. Check
the way opener "Trying" quickens its pace just slightly with the addition
of stately piano, and then retreats under the parsed glow of its background
vocals. The change in pace is subtle and almost negligible, and yet its
mellow lure propels the song beyond the gloom.
Beginning with the buried romance
of "Trying," Burn the Maps begins a four-song sequence that perfects these
tenuous dynamics. The track’s feathered beat and distant cacophony mounts
towards it close, but it’s balanced on a hazy, almost inert acoustic guitar.
From there, the EMO-tinged "Fake" staggers through the door on drunken
gangly guitar and rebuke, pausing to question faithlessness in the face
of a new love’s falsity. There’s anger and there’s accusation, but mostly
there’s just the acknowledgement of what can never be again. The music’s
challenge is voiced through Hasnard’s most haggard delivery, and the pairing
works wonders.
From there, "Sideways Down" is one
of the album’s more electronically-tampered tracks, beginning with a stuttered
machine-beat and insistent guitar. As a limber bass line gives out to Mac
Con Iomaire’s strings and a stirring requiem chorus, the band charges into
the distorted froth of "Underglass," spit-fired with fury and guilt. Perhaps
the equivalent of an EMO-Sigur Ros, whatever that might conjure for you,
these songs find the band at their earthiest and most aggressive.
Many of you will find Hasnard’s lyrics
a bit maudlin. Part of me can’t blame you; the man lives by the dying light,
he does. Of course, when paired with music of the sophistication and heady
weight of Burn the Maps, you could almost read Where the Wild Things Are
against their deep scar and create a new kaddish. Hear all of this in the
myriad veins it traces, against those unknowable blanks in its expression,
and remember that welcome-home image: the pursuit of something bent past
the horizon.
Prolonging the Magic
Burn The Maps (Buy It!)
The Frames
(Anti-)
The best rock 'n' roll relies on
anticipation as much as arrival—a lesson The Frames' singer-songwriter
Glen Hansard seems determined to test. The 12 songs on The Frames' latest,
Burn The Maps, simmer for a long time before they boil, but they do heat
up eventually, and that potential energy makes the Dublin band more than
just another group of Coldplay-era atmospheric balladeers. (That and the
fact that The Frames predates Coldplay by roughly a decade.) Hansard's
first incarnation of the band had more in common with the Pixies and U2,
but over the years, he's decided he'd rather light a slow-burning fuse
than stick around for the explosion.
Burn The Maps begins with the hushed
hum of "Happy," as Hansard half-whispers a statement of modern alienation,
culminating in the line "Why are you building divides?", which could be
directed at God, a lover, or a political party. The song gets louder, but
rather than cutting loose, it just keeps building, adding more guitar,
more piano, and finally a wash of strings. The escalating drumbeat and
harder-edged guitar of the next song, "Finally," promises some release,
but its chorus gets softer instead of louder. The Frames' tense vamping
doesn't begin to crest until the bridge, though again, it never really
breaks. Throughout the record-on the dynamic "Dream Awake," the low, snaky
"Sideways Down," and the quietly panicky epic "Keepsake," among others—The
Frames changes tempo, volume, and tone, but at the point where most bands
chase patterns to their conclusion, or let out a triumphant power-riff,
Hansard and company just downshift and start over.
Some of these exercises in frustration
are simply frustrating, but for the most part, The Frames' perverse restraint
matches Hansard's lyrics, which are all about lowered expectations. Even
when the song "Fake" follows a conventional rock structure, its big, pounding
chorus proves to be a letdown after the amiably poky singsong that precedes
it. As an experiment in defying formal expectations, Burn The Maps demonstrates
how a climax delayed can be a climax extended. - Noel Murray
Complexity without compromise
By Jill Sheehy
jsheehy@irishecho.com
The Frames had a choice when they
hunkered down to record their fifth studio album. They were on the heels
of a successful live album, recently signed to a new record label with
the promise of creative control, and had been crowned Ireland's new rock
kings by Hot Press magazine. Needless to say, the Frames could have taken
it easy this time around.
The Dublin-based band took the high
road, and did it without compromising a thing. Still layered and intense
as ever, the Frames can consider the music that makes up "Burn the Maps"
a testament to their talent and efforts.
The new album does such an honest
job of conveying the Frames at their best that it ensures that if the U.S.
is going to love the Frames, they will love everything -- the peaks, the
valleys and the in-betweens.
The album comes perilously close
to being almost too mellow at times, but it only takes a thorough listen
to hear the complexity beneath the lulled vocals of Glen Hansard and careful
string work of Colm MacConlomaire.
Having recorded and mastered in three
different locations could typically be a recipe for disaster, with the
pitfalls of overproduction and the old adage of "too many cooks." Instead,
the Frames are wholly involved with the process and keep their finished
product sounding top-notch. Their signature dots each track, and ensures
that the sound is impeccable.
"Dream Awake," the first single,
is a slowly building masterpiece, closing with crashing drums and a sweeping
violin to climax, only to be stopped by the realism of Hansard's vocals.
"Happy," the leadoff track, plays
out as a stark contrast against itself but without alienating the listener.
Careful timing and MacConlomaire's dramatics with the violin help make
it one of the most solid Frame's songs ever.
"Fake" could be the one misstep,
not because it is a bad song but rather it fails to fit in with the mood
of the entire album. It is understandable why it was included, however,
being both a huge hit in Ireland and seemingly commercially viable in the
U.S. It is a sad love song, but you can almost imagine Hansard grinning
as he sings the chorus.
The album begins its sloping finish
with the tremendous "Suffer in Silence," the ending of which only teases
the listener for more. Sure, it has all the grand swooshes and dreamy guitars
of any decent concluding track. But it never raises its own voice, instead
allowing the music to drift off, seemingly full of hope. Listeners will
leave the same as they came, looking for more of the Frames to devour.
There is a lot riding on "Burn the
Maps," but the best ending is what it is -- a CD made for the band by their
own tough standards, which ends up being a treat for the listener: fans
and first timers alike.
http://www.billboard.com/bb/reviews/album_exclusives_article_display.jsp?
vnu_content_id=1000760608
Title: Review of Burn The Maps
Message: to save the cutting and
pasting, here it is. By Ron Hart..
Outside of U2, the Frames may be
the biggest rock act in Ireland right now. But here in the United States,
they are about as well known as Skip Bifferty, which is an indubitable
crime. If there were any justice in this world, these guys would be just
as large in America as their British counterparts Coldplay, who they surpass
both in talent and longevity.
However, since 1990, their dizzying
hybrid of arena-sized pop and indie rock complexity has been cherished
by a small, yet loyal cult following stateside, augmented by frontman Glen
Hansard's co-starring role in Alan Parker's 1992 smash film "The Commitments."
Now signed to Epitaph's Anti- imprint, the Frames could finally reap the
mainstream recognition they so richly deserve here
in the States with "Burn the Maps,"
their fifth studio LP.
The follow-up to the career-spanning
2003 live album "Set List" is by far and away the group's most determined
work of its 15-year career. It's a collection of songs that demand your
attention, rife with soft/loud dynamics reminiscent of Sebadoh and Mogwai
magnified to fill the lungs of a sold-out Giants Stadium, particularly
on tracks like the cathartic "Finally," "A Caution to the Birds" and the
transcendental closer "Locusts." Could an opening slot on U2's upcoming
North American tour be far behind?
Here's a good review from the States
Message: Which city is the City Tribune?
Wednesday January 26, 2005
Glen Hansard, lead vocalist with
the Frames, started busking on the streets of Dublin at fourteen. Encouraged
by his mother—who went and bought him a guitar—Hansard’s and his mother’s
primal instincts proved accurate. His success has taken many avenues, from
record deals to their failures, from the coming and going of band members
to long-awaited success. "Revelate" and "Star, star" awakened the world
to the Frames and not before time either.
Burn the Maps comes in the wake of
their live album, Set List, which captures The Frames’ real talent-live
performance. This album blends the quiet, subdued songs, which The Frames
are renowned for, with the rock element they’ve been aspiring to find a
place for in their records. Does it work? Yes, resoundingly yes. This is
an accomplished album filled with hushed melodies that rise into manic
vocals.
Burn the Maps starts with the unhappy
"Happy". It’s about divides, misunderstanding, or simply not understanding,
the gaps and lines between wordsactions and what they mean. Slowly riling,
its stupendously uplifting symphony only kicks in towards the end. As always
Colm Mac Con Iomaire is to thank; his violin inserts are sharply timed.
"Finally", the album’s second track in angrier. Its one word chorus "finally"
goes from acceptance to exasperation and back again. "Dream Awake" starts
slowly, bt rallies into a frenzy of drums. A beautiful song, all the more
pertinent in the wake of recent disasters (there’s a calling, a calling,
a calling to everyone who lost something).
"A Caution to the Birds" follows
the suit of earlier songs. Its painfully slow beginning charges into a
loud chorus, which aptly begins with the word sound and that’s precisely
what Hansard gives it. The guitar riffs at the end and Mac Iomaire’s violin
give the song gravity. "Trying", harks back to their album "for the Birds".
It is the lullaby highs of Hansard’s voice and the finger-picked guitar
strings that make it resonate.
Then comes, what for most will be
sufficient reason to buy this album, "Fake", which was released as a single
during the year. It’s an anthem for lost love and has the raw-rock verses
interspersed with its sweet melodious chorus. "Sideways Down" introduces
Lisa Hannigan on backing vocals; its rhythmic guitar jams threaten to take
off into oblivion with the chorus ‘now you’re standing alone’, but the
song manages to stay put; the violin strings catapult and ease it back
again into its steady tempo. "Underglass" marks a transition. Here Hansard’s
vocals rip into shrieks for this simple rock tune.
The last set of four "Ship Caught
in the Bay", "Keepsake", "Suffer in Silence" and "Locusts" are lovesong,
beautifully articulated. Warped vocals serenade the bands’ instruments
that complement rather than envelop Hansard’s voice in the first of these
songs. It ends with drumbeats and violins caught in static, fading in and
out and then simply stopping. "Keepsake" is heartbreakingly beautiful.
The Chorus is introduced b the violin and its ricochet, followed by the
simple words: ‘down, down, down.” The final refrain "I can’t sleep" is
broken by an assembly of guitars and the violin’s struggle, all of which
rushes into a crescendo that leaves the lyrics inaudible.
"Suffer in Silence" is a downbeat
song, sparse on instruments, but strong vocally. The vocals are reinforced
by the lyrics, simple but effective: "I believe". Joe Doyle shares the
vocals in "Locusts". Again, it’s the by now, predictable slow start, but
this time there is no frenzy, just a piano sounding like plops of rain
falling into a puddle. It’s a remarkable album.
THE FRAMES - BURN THE MAPS
While Burn the Maps still has the
heart and soul of a Frames album, it’s notably different in its tone. Few
if any of the tracks (aside from the gorgeous closer Locusts perhaps) plough
their way through the acoustic folksome fields of yesteryear. Even when
Suffer in Silence appears to do so, it gently swells to an impressively
layered finish. It’s typical of the lush, rich sound, and musical strength
of Burn the Maps.
Underglass is a definite nod to,
or perhaps more of a tracing of, The Pixies. A tensely collected verse
gives way to some of Hansard’s most angry vocals ever committed to record,
even challenging the back-ends of Revelate and Fitzcarraldo. It offers
a very different snapshot of the Frames than For the Birds, which was centred
on a more lo-fi, stripped bare aesthetic, and stapled firmly to Hansard’s
vision. Burn the Maps on the other hand, is noticeably a band effort. Keepsake
flexes the muscles which were first discovered on the early bsides of Turbit
and Early Riser, and more recently Santa Maria. Its opening post-rock gambit
offers a haunting motif, accompanied by Hansard’s stoic delivery, before
descending into a feverish quagmire of anger and Colm Mac Con Iomaire’s
once again breath-taking efforts. Sideways Down is awash with jangly tight
guitars, soaring melodies and quiet-loud head rushes. In short, it’s the
finest thing on Burn the Maps.
However, Ship Caught in the Bay’s
descent into electronica, partly courtesy of Deasy’s assistance, still
remains a highly questionable moment though, where doubts of over-production
and inconsistency with the rest of the record are underscored and noted.
For the most part though the band’s effort with regard to the production
(as handled by guitarist Rob Bochnik and ex-Frame Dave Odlum) on Burn the
Maps manifests itself in some beautiful touches such as the last handful
of pounding drum beats at the end of Happy and A Caution to the Birds’
sheer depth and breadth of sound. Indeed, track five, Trying, seems consumed
with ordinariness, when viewed in the same space as the likes of Happy
and Dream Awake, and neither offers something a bit different nor one of
those emotionally-charged peaks that the Frames are so famous for, and
well-honed at, lashing out.
Ultimately though, Burn the Maps
offers the next chapter in the story of a band who have shown that time
and time again they can produce a little piece of heartfelt magic – such
a rare commodity in modern music. Maybe it is not quite as instantly special
as For the Birds, which in itself showed a much more vulnerable and exposed
side to the band, but Burn the Maps does attempt to show another side,
a side where The Frames are very much a band effort and not afraid of showing
it. They’ve chosen their path, they’re on their way, and given the commitment
and determination that is so pervasive in their songs, nobody would bet
that they don’t get there.
Review written by Michelle Dalton
The Frames' latest studio effort,
"Burn the Maps" (due Feb. 8 on the Anti- label), may have more alt-rock
ear candy than most of the band's earlier releases, but the disc's accessibility
is a product of maturity rather than selling out.
The Ireland-based act reins in its
wilder tangents and whims in favor of a more streamlined sound that shifts
effortlessly between the spare folk-pop of "Suffer in Silence" and driving
post-rock of "Finally."
Singer, guitarist and main Frame
Glen Hansard has never sounded more confident as he spins tales of heartbreak
and jealousy on tracks such as "Fake" and "Sideways Down." Frames followers
who prefer Hansard fragile and seemingly ready to snap will find songs
to call their own as well, notably "Underglass."
The band hasn't entirely abandoned
its trademark quirky shifts in mood, either. The first three languidly
intimate minutes of "Ship Caught in the Bay" dissolve into a rhythm-driven,
fuzzy finale. "Keepsake" spends more than seven minutes building from a
hushed piano and strings-driven lament to a psychedelia-tinged rock-out.
- Gemma Tarlach
http://www.jsonline.com/onwisconsin/music/jan05/294544.asp
Frames BURN THE MAPS. Plateau
The Frames is undoubtedly Ireland’s
best loved band. In world classification terms the band is up there with
the very best, and in live performance terms few others can match its passion
and ability to involve an audience. All this adds up to a strong sense
of anticipation for new releases from a growing band of worldwide fans.
In frontman Glen Hansard the band possesses a true great who revels in
the live arena, and in leading his excellent fellow musicians. Characteristically
over twelve months in the creating, the album (partially due to an unremitting
and extremely heavy international tour schedule) eventually arrived a few
days ago. It’s grittier, edgier, more passionate, more adventurous, and
more involving than any earlier Frames studio album. In short, it’s stunning...
In my view, the trick of studio recording
is to make the record sound like it’s a series of one-take live recordings.
I find that this increases listener involvement appreciably, and takes
one right into the eye of the storm. Track one hints strongly that the
Frames are strongly aware of this. In more recent interviews Hansard has
underlined the band’s key objective of remaining independent (the band
records on its own Plateau label) and maintaining a tight grip on the recording
process (Hansard has entrusted Steve Albini, ex-band guitarist David Odlum
and band guitarist Rob Bochnik with most production and mixing duties).
Happy is a slow-moving, contemplative, raw and strongly melodic song with
one of the most expressive Hansard vocals I can remember. The achievement
here is to accurately echo the song’s sentiments ("Come help me out I’m
sick from the fight, from inserting a laugh where there’s none, show me
where this joke got tired...") through the recorded musical ambience. It
ends up being totally credible, is an immaculate start to the album, and
a strong hint of what’s coming...
Next track Finally has an anthemic,
crusading vibe to it as Hansard’s voice changes to echo the song’s more
upbeat tones. The instrumental passages are epic including some fine fiddle
work from band mainstay Colm Mac Con Lomaire and superb riffs from ‘new’
guitarist Rob Bochnik. A stunning song by any standard. Dream Awake follows
with a song that opens almost inaudibly but grows in scale as it progresses
helped by stuttered drum beats and a mocking Hansard vocal. The final instrumental
rush is nothing short of breathtaking.
Two more incredibly moving songs
follow before the glacial, super-melodic and haunting tones of Trying appear.
A close-mic vocal completes a song that is impossible to lodge from the
brain. But then another memorable stunner called Fake bursts onto the scene.
This was the Irish chart-topping single released last year to keep the
fans happy and succeeded big-time. It’s pop/rock at its supreme best with
a soundstage of exciting guitar riffs, superb rocky choruses, a vocal that
travels the range, and a massive melody. If released and promoted here
in the UK it would fly...
The final segment of the album illustrates
how the band has evolved and progressed over the last few years, especially
in the area of creating gut-wrenching instrumental play. The drumming seems
more intuitive and mood-driven, the guitar work more dramatic and heavy
rock influenced - Underglass and Ship Caught In The Bay are supreme examples
of this, and I doubt whether you’ll hear anything as good on a rock record
in 2004.
The album closes in an exceptionally
inspiring way. First with the soft, contemplative tones of Keepsake with
its haunting fiddle and keyboard passages, and the most intimate Hansard
vocal. The song then concludes with an instrumental crescendo that matches
the very best from Australian instrumental rock wizards, The Dirty Three.
I can’t wait to see this performed live, and to witness the audience response...
And then finally Locusts that typifies the unrivalled intimacy and listener
involvement that comes as standard with every Frames album.
Last year the Frames released SET
LIST (a recording of a Dublin concert) and showed conclusively why the
band is so highly regarded as live performers, and the level of acclaim
accorded by people attending the band’s concerts. BURN THE MAPS now proves
that the band have mastered the studio and is able to create and produce
what will go down as probably the finest rock record to come out of Ireland
for many years. I do not exaggerate when I say that every lover of serious,
communicative rock music should own this album. And I can promise you it
will not leave your CD player for many, many months. It’s that good.
5/5
Please Note: BURN THE MAPS is released
in the UK on the 9th February, 2005. If you'd like to buy this fabulous
ablum now I suggest you log onto www.theframes.ie where I believe it is
currently available. |
