“Set List” lacks luck of the Irish
By Jake Christie
Staff Writer
I’ll be the first to admit that this album is the first I’ve ever heard of the Frames, an Irish band that is so fervently loved in its homeland that it knocked Justin Timberlake and U2 off the top of the pop charts last summer. I’m probably not the only one; “Set List” is the Frames’ first worldwide release, and they hope it’s their ticket to the mainstream. This album draws on their best live experiences from across the pond, but is perhaps a poor choice for gaining new fans outside of Ireland.
The Frames are a difficult band to describe, not because their music is complex but rather because it is so eclectic. The group itself is made up of the usual mainstream suspects: Glen Hansard (vocals, guitar), Joe Doyle (bass, vocals), Rob Bochnik (lead guitar), and Colm MacConIomaire (keyboard, vocals, and obligatory Irish-band violin). Their music draws on influences ranging from U2 and Pearl Jam to pop and Irish folk. It all blends together to weave fairly simple, memorable music that is very accessible to mainstream tastes.
With such a wide range of influences, you’d think that The Frames would have a very diverse portfolio to draw from for this album. You would sadly be mistaken, as their songs tend to be very similar, differing slightly from “slow” to “sort of slow,” and sometimes taking you totally by surprise and sounding “not as slow as you thought it would be, but still pretty slow.”
Despite their conventional sound, the songs are flowing and enjoyable. Front-man Hansard has an attractive voice that shines through on many of the tracks, which are very sparse in the instrument department. Of note are the splendid “Star Star,” in which the vocals and violin quote Gene Wilder in his role as Willy Wonka, and the more intense “What Happens When the Heart Just Stops,” which opens with a hilarious story about the dog from Hansard’s childhood that inspired it.
Many of the songs on “Set List” would fit right in on the radio here in America, save one thing: the album is completely live. While live music may be the perfect thing to augment a fan’s collection, it does not hold much weight on commercial radio. “Set List” may show a kinship between the group and their fans, but it is hard to get excited listening to a band for the first time when they travel off on expressive tangents or let the crowd sing the words for them.
“Set List” will be in stores on February 24th, but I doubt you will hear much of it on the radio. While it is a good effort and a wonderful piece of history for the fans, it won’t have much effect over here until the Frames have a greater presence. After a worldwide studio release, the Frames may rocket up to the top of our charts like they did in Ireland. But right now it seems like “Set List” left the luck of the Irish back across the pond.
Jake Christie can be contacted at [email protected]