The Fray's Best Yet...

With one double platinum album under their belts, The Fray has exploded onto the Billboard charts with a more artistically expressive sound. Lead singer, Isaac Slade, possesses a rugged vocal range with a thread of angst and sadness. Their successful debut album How to Save a Life, spread like wildfire after airing on Grey’s Anatomy, Scrubs, and One Tree Hill in 2006. The band’s hits “Over My Head (Cable Car)” and “How to Save a Life” hit airwaves and stubbornly remained on the radio past their expiration dates. The Fray has officially graduated from the teen drama scene to a melody that will please their growing audience.

Dropped on February 2, 2009, The Fray’s self-titled album borrows styles from U2, resurrects the rich vocal textures of Keane, and tops the mixture off with a healthy helping of Coldplay’s string arrangements. Slade’s determined vocals and gut-wrenching piano melodies harmonize to become the central piece of each song. Tracks such as “Where the Story Ends,” “We Build Then We Break,” and “Ungodly Hour” are saturated with disappointment and betrayal. Nearly all of the songs paint a picture of loneliness and battered emotions that reveal the pain-filled journey Slade’s life has taken. By the album’s close, it’s clear that some hope and joy can arise from the pain. “Happiness” bends the ideal definition into a more realistic light. Here, the old and the new collide as the uplifting harmonies blend together. Thankfully, The Fray has moved from background music to a more talented sound.