Ireland's Frames have been around
for so long and released enough records that at this point the best entree
for the curious is just to catch the act live. Set List isn't the group's
first live album, but it is its first for Epitaph's Anti- division, a stopgap
tactic in anticipation of a full U.S. assault. It was a smart move: the
cheers of the band's adoring fans, here captured in Dublin in 2002, buoy
singer Glen Hansard's already abundant charisma. Songs like "Revelate"
and "God Bless Mom" betray the band's heavy debt to the Pixies, but there's
more to the Frames than dynamic, distorted alt-pop (as demonstrated by
the sweet, violin-adorned "Star Star" or the hypnotic "Lay Me Down"). Unfortunately,
as is the case with many live albums, it would be nice to know what the
crowd is laughing at and cheering for -- the (literal) shaggy dog story
relayed by Hansard before "What Happens When the Heart Just Stops" gives
a taste of his giddy temperament and loose stage presence. But perhaps
it's just as telling that band and audience alike sound like they're having
a good time.
-- Joshua Klein, Playboy |
