The Fiery Furnaces - I'mGoing Away

Tue 25th Aug, 2009 in Music Reviews

The Friedberger siblings, Matthew and Eleanor*, have been stoking The Fiery Furnaces now for nine years. Alongside Ryan Adams and Jason Molina, they are one of the more prolific acts around. I’m Going Away is their sixth (not including their live and EP releases) album, since their – œ03 debut Gallowsbird Bark.

From the first notes, you know you are listening to a Fiery Furnaces album. The squiggly notes, frantic percussion and Eleanor’s rhythmic singing hits immediately. This time round, though, there is a sense of groove, – œ70s funk and soul-boogie that tells you are in for a more immediate listening experience than you may be used to. The title track has some nice jazz guitar licks that display the outfit’s musical proficiency – which verges on both the entertaining and the smart-arse.

Drive To Dallas is one of the most beautiful Fiery Furnaces songs they have recorded. It is a classic piano ballad; a tale about the dissolution of a relationship and those tricky parts of it that still linger. After the languid pace of most of the song, the band cleverly ramp things up to a speed-wiggly crash and burn. They then bring us back to the chorus as a reminder of how delicate and pretty the song is.

The End Is Near follows in the same vein, with Matthew’s keyboards leading the melodic way. It could be taken as a sequel to Drive To Dallas – the realisation that the relationship is finally finished. The backwards glance at the end of a relationship continues as the album’s theme on Lost At Sea, with Eleanor feeling adrift when she sings “Maybe I’m not me”.

Eleanor’s lyrics have always been a crucial part of the band’s distinctive music. She paints abstract images with her words, twisting lines back on themselves and rhyming in ways we were taught not to. In Charmaine Champagne she sings, “She’s gonna get me folked up, fairly beat/She likes a strong Sangaree that shakes for twelve hours at least”. Strangely (and perhaps cleverly), they use the same set of lyrics later on the album for Cups & Punches; with an entirely different musical backdrop. Both versions work fantastically well – presumably they couldn’t decide which was the best.

Even In The Rain could be some lost – œ70s soul classic, such is the way it uses handclaps and light honky-tonk piano. The retro, sunny vibe is prevented from becoming pastiche by Eleanor’s lyrics and her avoidance of traditional singing. She squashes extra words into her sentences and mixes up actual singing with a beat poetry delivery. It is a gloriously eccentric pop song that shows their balance between super hooky tunes and avant tendencies.

After the lightness of the first half of I’m Going Away, it is a pleasant detour to visit the darkness of Staring At The Steeple. The song bears similarities to the shadowy newer music from Arctic Monkeys. It shuffles and shimmies like an updated Doors song. The soul vibe is found again on Keep Me In The Dark, this time with a faux rock – œn roll feel and some proggy flourishes of flute and accordion to add that Fiery Furnaces magic.

Take Me Round Again curiously does just what the title suggests. It takes all the styles and moods of the album and draws them into the final song. The fun, frivolity, infectious melodies and eccentric detail are all there. It is immensely satisfying to hear an album that ends on such a strong track. So often these days, records are top heavy and don’t sustain repeated listens.

The Fiery Furnaces are one of the most unique and gloriously complicated bands – and I’m Going Away could well be their best yet.

I’m Going Away is out now through Popfrenzy Records.