{"id":1771,"date":"2014-03-20T11:55:29","date_gmt":"2014-03-20T15:55:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/students.com.miami.edu\/~reviewing\/?page_id=1771"},"modified":"2014-03-20T11:56:21","modified_gmt":"2014-03-20T15:56:21","slug":"frays-helios-a-great-listen-throughout","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/students.com.miami.edu\/reviewing\/?page_id=1771","title":{"rendered":"Fray’s ‘Helios’ a great listen throughout"},"content":{"rendered":"

Posted March 20, 2014<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

By ASHLEY ZIMMERMAN<\/p>\n

The Fray, American piano-rock band, pleases fans with its fourth album \u201cHelios.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>

The Fray’s “Helios”<\/p><\/div>\n

The Fray are influenced by other rock bands including The Wallflowers, Counting Crows, Better than Ezra and U2. They\u2019ve also been compared to Coldplay.<\/p>\n

\u201cLove Don\u2019t Die\u201d the first single from \u201cHelios\u201d generated buzz and was impossible to miss for those listening to popular radio.<\/p>\n

With its catchy lyrics and electro rock sound the song was an instant hit with fans, although the single peaked at No. 60 on Billboard\u2019s top 100 in the U.S. Perhaps this is more of a failure of the current popularity of rock, as the song peaked at number 11 on Billboard\u2019s U.S. Hot Rock Songs.<\/p>\n

Formed back in 2002 in Denver by Issac Slade (lead vocalist, main songwriter and pianist) and Joe King (guitarist, pianist and backup vocals), who attended school together, The Fray\u2019s first release, \u201cHow To Save A Life\u201d (2005) earned the boys worldwide success and fame when it went double platinum in the U.S. and platinum in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the UK.<\/p>\n

Their second self-titled album \u201cThe Fray\u201d (2009) was Grammy nominated for \u201cBest Pop Vocal Album\u201d in 2010. Their third album \u201cScars & Stories\u201d generated less buzz, hitting number four on the Billboard 200.<\/p>\n

Slade\u2019s unmistakable vocals carry the song with lyrics like \u201cIf I know one thing, that’s true ,It ain’t what you say, it’s what you do , And you don’t say much, yeah, that’s true, But I listen when you do,\u00a0 A thousand years go by, \u00a0But love don’t die.\u201d<\/p>\n

The first track on the album however \u201cHold My Hand\u201d is arguably the one that sounds most like The Fray\u2019s earlier work. With Slade\u2019s raspy rock vocals and a slow and soft piano start with guitar and other instrumentals added slightly later in the track, it\u2019s reminiscent of tracks from \u201cHow To Save A Life.\u201d<\/p>\n

Surprising tracks like \u201cGive it Away\u201d separate this album from the Fray\u2019s earlier work. With an undeniable disco sound, the song is unexpected but enjoyable. With lyrics like \u201cFree, love is free, love is free. Come on and give it away. Come on and give it away now,\u201d the repetitive but catchy chorus is likely to get stuck in any listener\u2019s head in no time. The sound of the track is what makes it a standout in the album though.<\/p>\n

As a whole, the album ebbs and flows with a natural rhythm that rises and falls and while each song is unmistakably The Fray, the bands plays with different styles and sounds going from piano-rock, to electro-pop and even disco, making the album anything but dull.<\/p>\n

Slade and King wrote the lyrics for each track, and collaborated with \u201cOne Republic\u201d song writer and lead vocalist Ryan Tedder on \u201cLove Don\u2019t Die\u201d. Sam Hollander, songwriter and record producer (Train, Daughtry, Neon Trees) collaborated on the final track \u201cSame As You.\u201d<\/p>\n

With meaningful and deep lyrics that grapple with life\u2019s most crucial issues like love, heartbreak, struggle and joy the band appeals to those looking beyond bubble gum pop.\u00a0 Those addicted to the vocals of Slade won\u2019t be able to get enough of his raspy rock sound.<\/p>\n

Critics may not love the way the band experimented on this album but \u201cHelios\u201d is a great listen, worth buying, the kind of album you can easily listen to all the way through without skipping any tracks.<\/p>\n