NewMusic First Spin: Fiery Furnaces
July 21st, 2009
If anyone has ever complained about their favourite artists taking their sweet time between releasing new music, it certainly wasn’t a Fiery Furnaces fan. Since Eleanor and Matthew Friedberger debuted with 2003’s Gallowsbird’s Bark, the sibling duo have consistently hit each calendar year with something new, and usually, pretty exquisite.
Having made their biggest impact with 2004’s multi-dimensionally extraordinary concept album Blueberry Boat, Fiery Furnaces have never phoned in any of their releases. Sure, Rehearsing My Choir (2005) was virtually unlistenable (only because their grandmother provided vocals) and Remember (2008) was an exhausting 51-track live album, but at least they demonstrated great effort was behind both. And as far as studio efforts centred around the duo’s strong points (Eleanor’s vocals, Matthew’s instrumental idiosyncrasies) go, Fiery Furnaces are virtually alone in their field.
Their third effort for Thrill Jockey and proper follow-up to 2007’s underrated Widow City, I’m Going Away is arguably their most coherent, straight release since their debut. Normally a band this eccentric wouldn’t regress after six years, but their seventh album feels more like they took the opportunity to take a breath and have some fun without following any sort of strict narrative. (Anyone looking for something a little more challenging, well, the Friedbergers have already announced two upcoming releases: a “silent record” and a box set titled DEMOC-ROCK, which finds them writing music around handwritten lyrics submitted by fans at some of their concerts. Uh huh…)
I’m Going Away finds strong middle ground between their straight-up pop and whimsically prog tendencies. Matthew’s back and forth between childlike piano rolls and scorching hot ’70s psych riffs provide a kaleidoscopic playground for Eleanor on both “Keep Me In The Dark” and “Cups and Punches,” while “Drive To Dallas” and “Cut The Cake” take on looser, jazzier directions.
Overall, it’s a wonderful mishmash of vibrant and virtuosic musicianship, accentuated by eclecticism that only Fiery Furnaces can offer.
Listen to it Here
Artist: Fiery Furnaces
Album:I’m Going Away
Release Date: July 21, 2009
Label: Thrill Jockey Records
Genre: Indie Pop/Rock
Author: Cam Lindsay
First Spin Live Until: July 28, 09
Track Listing:
- I’m Going Away
- Drive To Dallas
- The End Is Near
- Charmaine Champagne
- Cut The Cake
- Even In The Rain
- Staring At The Steeple
- Ray Bouvier
- Keep Me In Dark
- Lost At Sea
- Cups and Punches
- Take Me Round Again
Tags: Fiery Furnaces, first spin
Posted on Tuesday, July 21st, 2009 at 11:08 am by Klye and is filed under Reviews, The New Music.
In that pic Matthew looks like Javier Bardem’s character in No Country For Old Men, which chills me to the bone. I will try and put that aside though to check out the new album.