The Frames - Burn theMaps

Mon 15th Nov, 2004 in Music Reviews

Having formed in 1991, Dublin dwellers The Frames slowly crawled from the proverbial depths of relative obscurity. Led by founding member Glen Hansard, the Frames released their first album Another Love Song in ‘92, an acclaimed record that – along with their live shows – gained the Frames some notoriety that was, unfortunately, soon quashed by the coincidental explosion of fellow Irish group The Cranberries.

Having to struggle for some time without the support of a record label may have strengthened the band’s resolve, for they maintained a rigorous touring schedule through Ireland and the UK, and were eventually rewarded with their fourth album commanding the talents of producer Steve Albini (Pixies, Bush, Nirvana).

More than a decade after the band’s inception, The Frames have released their fifth studio album and even the US market have their ears pricked in anticipation. Subtle in construction and less naively hopeful than 2001’s For The Birds, the melancholy anguish of Burn the Maps shows the band taking a different route altogether.

Where For The Birds swept the listener into an intoxicating river of summer melodies and uncomplicated instrumentation, Burn The Maps delves into darker territory with complex production and polished string arrangements. The band’s maturity permeates immediately from the album’s opener. The weakly miserable strains of the ironically titled Happy are not altogether indicative of the remainder of the album. With perseverance, it becomes apparent that the monotonous agony of Happy is merely a strange choice for opener on an album that is built on a framework of powerful, intricate melodies interspersed with delicate lyrics and meticulous layering of sound. Finally, with its yearning vocals, insistent rhythm and gently moaning string section, was the obvious choice for first single.

It presents a trademark of the band’s 2004 sound: restrained power, raw vocals and blinding flashes of emotion when Hansard – on occasion – lets his guard down. The guitar sound is both tentative and wildly destructive, teetering between delicate note selection and rock arena chord-slamming. Dream Awake begins as a meandering trickle, but by gathering strength in its subtle instrumental contributions, it soon swells and explodes into a flash flood of thundering drums and whirlpool guitars. The song’s conclusion is then as unexpected and sudden as its subversive inception.

With its piercing arch of guitar sound, A Caution To The Birds is ethereal without becoming indulgent. The strings beautifully complement the more contemporary instrumentation, allowing for some pastels among the neon of the Frames’ music. With its offbeat drums and piston guitars, Underglass presents the band at their most ragged. With Hansard’s vocals akin to Black Francis’ archetypal barely-controlled scream, this track practically perspires, and provides an amphetamine boost to what is otherwise a fairly cohesive and purposefully structured record.

After the ferocity of Underglass, the remainder of the album seems oddly constrained. Having experienced a small insight to the delightful insanity of Handsard’s varied vocal style, it’s difficult to avoid feeling the urge for more of this unexpected detour. Ship Caught In The Bay seems flat and uninspired after Underglass, but the mood is lifted once more with the darkly melodic Suffer In Silence. The track sees effective use of strings floating above heavy basslines and almost-whispered vocals, with the violins pushed to the forefront for a brief moment before subsiding once again into the woodwork. Locusts also meanders gracefully through a delicate string section before pulling the various instruments together and sealing the album.

Thirteen years on, The Frames are proving their ability to capture emotion as engagingly and effectively as always. Burn The Maps may not blow your mind – or your stereo – but its highlights are proof enough that this band indeed deserve the attention that has finally been generated over their efforts.