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Album Review: ‘Helios’

(Courtesy of Epic Records)

"Helios"
The Fray
Epic Records

By Alicia Sontag

Feb. 25, 2014 12:00 a.m.

Picture an inverted pyramid. The top starts off broad and incorporates new musical styles. Then, the layers slim down to a single point, pulling away newer techniques and leaving only the raw core of a pop-rock band.

Following this pyramid, The Fray manages to showcase its advanced skill set while keeping true to the band’s pop-rock sound in their newest album “Helios.”

The band advances in the beginning of the album, as The Fray touches upon new sounds of fierce, aggressive rock. The album progresses, moving closer to the older pop-alternative sounds of The Fray. By the end of the album, the tracks ultimately simmer down to the bare essentials of The Fray’s brooding and dark music.

The standard Fray piano is incorporated immediately by introducing the first track, “Hold My Hand.” Lead singer Isaac Slade sings in a much grittier, harder voice than in previous albums. The change is subtle yet appealing. “The fever’s in my blood/ The feelings in my bones/ But I don’t want to walk that way,” Slade sings.

“Love Don’t Die” is the highlight of this newer rock style. Slade maintains the same style of vocals, while the guitar strums out a rapid and catchy, fast and aggressive tune. The song is reminiscent of the sounds of The Black Keys, as even the lyrics are different and more confrontational than in the past.

The Southern-like rock is a refreshing twist, showcasing the band’s ability to branch out stylistically. “She can break it up/ She can burn it down/ You can box it in/ Bury it in the ground/ You can close it off/ And turn it away/ Try to keep it down/ Six feet in the ground/ But love don’t die,” Slade sings.

The first five songs of “Helios” maintain this heavy rock approach. The lyrics avoid the same melancholy ballad, although they still do seem troubled. The beats are more optimistic, almost cheerful, compared to the mournful Fray of the past.

The album begins to transition back to The Fray’s slow, smooth style halfway through the album with the track “Hurricane,” a song about love and a vivacious, fiery woman. There is a discord between peace and disorder in the song, which is reflected in the melody.

The chorus is rapid and includes both Slade and a choir-like background, while the rest of the vocals are smoother and focus more on Slade’s voice and a simple beat – it is a song of contradictions, like the situation in the song. “She yells and I crumble/ She’s got the power/ She’s barely five foot two/ She’s a hurricane,” Slade sings.

Following “Hurricane” are the songs of the calm after the storm. The tracks are slower, softer, and more of what fans expect from The Fray.

“Keep on Wanting” is less fierce than the beginning songs of the album. There are more lyrics of broken hearts and a focus on Slade’s vocals and the solo piano. “But It’s not what you want but matters and such you want more/ So go, on lie to yourself but don’t lie to me,” Slade sings.

“Helios” fully embraces The Fray’s original tone in the last three songs of the album, which culminates in its final track, “Same as You.” It’s catchy, with an opening of a low chorus and drums, which are later joined by Slade’s voice and plucking violins. The final song seems tranquil and undisturbed, neither happy nor downcast. Later, the low, synthetic chorus sounds more like incantations, giving “Same as You” almost a transcendent feeling.

The Fray mixes up its style in its newest album, “Helios,” creating a harder rock sound while simultaneously sticking to the group’s softer, melancholy roots. The result: a satisfying and contemplative blend of calm and chaotic sounds, which gives The Fray a much wished for dimension.

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Alicia Sontag
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