Fiery Furnaces
albums
get go that establishes them as unique individuals, and if you don't like it they don't care. I saw the band live in
early 2006, and never before have I seen a band destroy and completely rework their own songs on stage like
these guys did, and I mean they totally changed almost everything about them. The band dares to be different
while being naturally likeable, and I think the wrong impression is made about them right off, they are not hard to
get into. Being composed of a mysterious brother and sister duo might lead some to believe that they can guess
what the band will sound like or do next, but really there is no telling at all. Even though I have influences listed
below, the band is odd in that they really don't sound like anyone, but have spawned imitators already and make
people say, "That sounds like the Fiery Furnaces." Still in their infant stage, the band is very prolific and makes a
certain impression on anyone listening. It goes with out saying that they make great records too that put the fun
back in complexity. Or add it to it, I don't know.
Band Members: Matthew Friedberger - Lead Guitar, Vocals
Eleanor Friedberger - Lead Vocals, Guitar
(alternating assortment of other people who play Drums, Bass, and Piano, etc., if not
Matt and Eleanor themselves)
Best Album: Gallowbraid's Park
Biggest Influences: Frank Zappa, The Who, Royal Trux
2003
Gallowbraid's Park - 9/8
This is a monumental debut, displaying one of the most original bands to come along in a long, long time. Fast
paced, energetic, sounding like piano lead rock band bursting out of your speakers, and a lead singer who sounds
like Chrissie Hynde crossed with Patti Smith reciting poetry, but at the same time nothing like them at all. The band
weaves together tunes that don't let up for a second but don't feel forced at all. Gallowbraid's Park makes a
miracle of going 16 songs in a row of real quality songs, whether its true avant-rock like "Asthma Attack" and "Gale
Blow", ballads like "Up in the North" and "Bright Blue Tie", or straight rockers like, well, the rest. Matthew
Friedberger shows his unique guitar style off to great extent on "Leaky Tunnel" and "Don't Dance her Down", and
his piano lines on just about every song. The spilt song "Inca Rag/ Name Game" is a notable feat, showing off M.
F.'s unique lyric writing ability (truly an original). Some of the album has to grow on you gradually, like "Tropical Ice
Island" did, but eventually it does and now I think the record is perfect. The band shows how to experiment while
staying in the realm of rock music and not flying off into space. This is definitely a monumental band; it's easy to
hear in their sound. Will they go crazy in the future? Well, no one knows but one thing is for sure: as long as they
keep it as lighthearted and fun as their debut, whatever the band does will be successful. The thing is, as strange
as this band sounds, it is just really original rock music done very well. It's definitely one of the best and more
underrated albums of the 00's. - Trevor e.y.
1.the south is only a home- 4
2.i'm gonna run- 4
3.leaky tunnel- 4
4.up in the north- 4 *
5.inca rag/name game- 4
6.asthma attack- 4
7.don't dance her down- 4
8.crystal clear- 3
9.two fat feet- 4
10.bow bow- 4
11.gale blow- 4
12.worry worry- 4
13.bright blue tie- 4
14.tropical ice land- 3
15.rub alcohol blues- 4
16.we got back the plague- 4
2004
Blueberry Boat - 7/8
Building on the song suite idea at the end of the previous record, the Fiery Furnaces have made their
ambitions known with this double album of fun. Songs within songs appear on a regular basis, and it is easy to get
lost with in the album's huge range. Everything from beautiful ballads to harsh rockers and electronic beats exist
on here, often within the same song. There are few songs shorter than five minutes on here too, but don't let it
throw ya. Even though the band has changed their approach to music some, this is still the band that made the
last album, and the same off the wall kind of humor is present throughout. Where to begin to name songs, well
"Birdie Brain", "Paw Paw Tree", and "Straight Street" are probably the most traditional songs on here, but funny
enough, they are not necessarily the easiest to get into. The eleven minute opener "Quay Cur" is pretty accessible
on its own, weaving through layers upon layers of different ideas and some are never repeated within it, but
appear in later songs throughout the album. Other magnificent long suites include "Chief Inspector Blanchflower"
and "Chris Michaels", masterworks that rank among the bands best songs yet. Within songs like those and the two
part "1917", there is the whole essence of why this band is good, because anyone that can make those ideas work
are truly among the great songwriters. There are some failed attempts, "Mason City", "Spainiolated", and a lot of
the title track do not work, and come across as boring; once again some material could be trimmed from this
massive statement to make it more listenable. As it stands, the album is so complicated it actually seems longer
than it is and takes about five to ten listens to get a feel of it, so its not for everybody. But what great art is for all?
Blueberry Boat is among the most ambitious albums of the 00's yet, and one of it's most memorable statements to
be sure. If the band can stay this interesting for more albums, they will easily be contenders for best band of the
decade, if they are not already there with this and Gallowbraid's Park. - Trevor e.y.
1.quay cur- 4
2.straight street- 4
3.blueberry boat- 3
4.chris michaels- 4
5.paw paw tree- 4
6.my dog was lost, but now he's found- 3
7.mason city- 2
8.chief inspector blanchflower- 4 *
9.spainiolated- 2
10.1917- 4
11.birdie brain- 4
12.turning around- 4
13.wolf notes- 4
2005
Rehearsing my Choir - 6/8
The band's most out-there record so far for sure, and judged harshly by critics of its time. I'll tell you though,
this is quite the successful experiment. For one thing, few things in rock have ever been this abstract, not knowing
where one song begins and ends. Also it is a concept record, telling the story of a girl at her young age (Eleanor
Friedberger) and an older woman, looking back at her life (Olga Sarantos); the latter is song by the sibling's
grandmother for goodness sakes! Finally it is not like this is a song by song analogy, where one song is the
younger girl, and the next is the older, nor is it chronological; the songs jump around in the same song, constantly
repeating things from the future tracks and past tracks at breakneck speed. No way in hell could anyone
remember the intricacies of this record with out constantly trying. The thing is, it sounds relatively (yes, relatively)
easy to listen to, at least for the amount of complexity gathered here. Some songs definitely hold up on their own
like "Rehearsing my Choir", "A Candymaker's Knife in my Handbag", and "4823 22nd Street", and could be heard
at anytime out of the album's context. Most are better heard in the album's natural flow though, and flow it does by
the way, it goes by very fast for a 59 minute record. A Zombies influence can be heard on the record, in the song
"We Wrote Letters Everyday" that steals the riff right out of that band's "Hung Up on a Dream" on their Oddessy
and Oracle album; also there's the whole "Zapped by the Zombie!" rant in the third song. Humor is present all over
the album, and it constantly makes me laugh, even though there are a few songs I skip now and then. To sum up:
if the Who's Tommy is one of your favorite albums, this here exaggerates on that record, in fact all concept
records, to the point of no return. It's great though! - Trevor e.y.
1.the garfield el- 4
2.the wayward granddaughter- 3
3.a candymaker's kinfe in my handbag- 4
4.we wrote letters eveyday- 3
5.4823 22nd street- 4
6.guns under the counter- 3
7.seven silver curses- 3
8.though let's be fair- 2
9.slavin' away- 2
10.rehearsing my choir- 4
11.does it remind you of when- 2
2006
Bitter Tea - 6/8
The band has had a small decline in quality with each record they have released, but it hasn't been noticeable
that they were ever running out of ideas until Bitter Tea. For one, the record sounds like a rehash of Blueberry
Boat, the first five songs especially. They flow into one another repeating things blah blah blah, but not in any
inventive way, and really that part is viewed as a failure in my eyes. The rest of the record is way more successful,
combing the pop sound heard on EP with that old B.B. sound. "Police Sweater Blood Vow", "Benton Harbor Blues",
and "Whistle Rhapsody?" are the great examples of this blend, hell "Waiting to Know You" is straight up vintage
1960's pop music. "Vietnamese Telephone Ministry" is a new kind of song for the band, with backwards vocals
being all the rage and a new added dementia. As good as the last 2/3 of the record is, there are still many
skipable clunkers like "Oh Sweet Woods", "Nevers", and "Borneo" to get past. About half good half bad and all
that, but it feels like the fans have been cheated because we expect another Blueberry Boat of complexity, and are
left with sub par material (and why the remixes of two of the album tracks at the end, like The Soft Bulletin and so
many other recent albums have done? That is such an annoying trend these days, kind of like secret "bonus"
songs). Still, the album is not a complete failure, but the prolific Matthew Friedberger just might want to relax for a
while and take his time with future work, lest he run the risk of going down the pretentious path so many other
creative bands have been down. We all know where that road ends: failure. - Trevor e.y.
1.in my little thatched hut- 3
2.i'm in no mood- 3
3.black hearted boy- 2
4.bitter tea- 4
5.teach me sweetheart- 2
6.waiting to know you- 4
7.veitnamise telephone ministry- 4
8.oh sweet woods- 1
9.borneo- 2
10.police sweater blood vow- 4
11.nevers!- 3
12.benton harbor blues- 4
13.whistle rhapsody?- 4
2007
Window City - 8/8
With their 6th release in five years (counting EP but not Matthew Freidburger's solo double-LP), this band has
become the experimental rock group of the decade for sure. Window City is long and detailed, but most of the
songs are relatively short and at 16 songs it only runs 58 minutes. It is a song cycle, concept album,
deconstruction of rock tradtitions...but none of this is new to the FF's devoted fans. Where this record ranks
among their best is the consistency and new ideas put forth. First, the songwriting is noticably different. The songs
are more thought out then on Blueberry Boat and more ideas are crammed into shorter songs. Songs like "The
Philadelphia Grand Jury", "Navy Nurse", "Window City" and "Ex Guru" are have zillions of ideas that come at you at
a fast pace and challenge you to learn them all. Secondly, the playing is less "wild" and more "structured". The
best example is "Clear Signal From Cairo", a blur of hard rock-soft rock that somehow works, though it appears
random to the untrained ear. Almost every song has something experimental in it, like a piece of abstract art that
can have many interpretations.
Thirdly, this is more difficult music than the band has ever made. Gallowbraid's Park through Bitter Tea
showed the band getting more and more accessible, but this is a decisive left turn. Still, the band is really not as
alienating as they might sound; I stick by the opinion that this is very accessible stuff. It's more complicated
musically, but still very minimal in instrumentation. Even the more melodic tunes like "Automatic Husband", "My
Egyptian Grammer" and "Pricked in the Heart" make most people say "what the hell is this?" There are key
changes, 70's rock vibes, blasts of noise ("Uncle Charlie" is a masterwork in it self), but above all Eleanor's singing
keeps it all interesting (she sings on every song this time); most of these things happen in the span of the same
song. I showed this album to a friend and his exact words were, "I can't believe people like this music as much as
we do". I have to agree with him, it is rare that a "music fan's" wet dream of an album is accepted by the general
public, but somehow FF's music is. To sum up, "Window City" is a complete deconstruction of melodic rock, a
masterpiece from start to finish in the mold of Trout Mask Replica or Twin Infinitves. It is good that the spirit of
great experimental rock still lives on, and this motto is best expressed by the Fiery Furnaces themselves through
the lyrics: "If there's anything I've had enough of, it's today." - Trevor e.y.
1.the philadelphia grand jury- 4
2.duplexes of the dead- 4
3.automatic husband- 4
4.ex guru- 4
5.clear signal from cairo- 4 *
6.my egyptian grammar- 4
7.the old hag is sleeping- 4
8.japanese slippers- 4
9.navy nurse- 4
10.uncle charlie- 4
11.right by conquest- 3
12.restoritive beer- 2
13.wicker whatnots- 4
14.cabaret of the seven devils- 3
15.pricked in the heart- 4
16.window city- 4
2005
EP - 6/8
No way is this thing an EP, I'm sorry. It is ten songs long for one, and it's 40 minutes in length overall! It's a
collection of b-sides though, proven by the techno redo of "Tropical Island" from Gallowbraid's Park, which is no
good by the way. I'd say at least six of the tunes are worth hearing, and it is definitely the band unafraid to show
off their pop side. "Evergreen", "Here Comes the Summer", "Sing for Me" and "Sweet Spots" are some of the best
songs the band has ever done, and the most accessible. I'd say those songs are "must hears" for sure, though
"Sullivan's Social Club" and "Single Again" are more forceful interpretations of the bands evolution, and though
they are good, do not succeed quite as much. As many misfires as there on here though, there are way more
triumphs, and it stands as a hilarious pop contrast to Rehearsing My Choir, the other F.F. album released in
2005. A must have for any fan of the band; imagine a whole album of songs like "Evergreen", that would be
something different!. - Trevor e.y.
1.single again- 3
2.here comes the summer- 4
3.evergreen- 4
4.sing for me- 4
5.tropical iceland- 2
6.duffer st. george- 2
7.smelling cigarettes- 2
8.cousin chris- 2
9.sweet spots- 4
10.sullivan's social club- 3
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