Review: The Fiery Furnaces- I'm Going Away

What do you expect when you first pop in a new Fiery Furnaces record? Throughout a discography that spans folksy blues to electro pop to progressive rock to geriatric themed concept albums, the only real expectation is to be surprised. In that sense 'I'm Going Away' doesn't break the norm. It is certainly shocking, but only in the sense of how un-shocking the music here is. Honestly, anyone could listen to and enjoy the 30's tinged indie rock that makes up this record, which could hardly be said of even 'Gallowsbird Bark', the duo's now dethroned "most accessible" release, and would never even be considered as description of 'Blueberry Boat' or 'Remember'. The question then really becomes, if the Fiery Furnaces are not brandishing their characteristically uncompromising creative mash-ups of noise and melody, do they have the chops to hold a listeners attention?

There has never been any doubt that Matthew Friedberger can write a great pop song, but we are in a world that is rife with such tunes. It has always been the aesthetic, the packaging, that can make just another track really stick. The tunes here are packaged in newspaper clippings saved up from the Great Depression, a nostalgic take which while offering a fresh sound, adds to the tame nature of the album. The word tame however, when applied to the FF's may not mean what it otherwise would. Opener and title track "I'm Going Away" rides a jangly groove heavily through an old folk tune, but never quite strays into the experimentalism of the similiar "Single Again". Rocker "Charmaine Champagne" moves adeptly through a number of changes, but never reaches the frenzy of "Don't Dance Her Down". There are still enough guitar squelches ("Drive To Dallas") and melodic shake-ups to keep this distinctly Furnaces, just not to the extent that there have been in the past. One advantage of this is the extra honesty it seems to lend to the ballads; "The End Is Near" is more poignant than anything they've ever done, even if one winds up wishing a prettier voice than Eleanor Friedberger's was singing it. Noticeably absent here is the heavy handed synth. I can not even imagine these songs being performed live without guitar. That said however, the playing is profesional and the production is clean.

On previous albums the music could be too challenging, sometimes leaving one to wish for a more accessible listen. Here, if anything, the opposite applies. These songs are so easier to listen to that one begins to yearn for more of that flair to make them, well, more fiery (particularly on "Cut The Cake"). While a more perfect blend was probably hit on 'Gallowsbird Bark' or 'Widow City', the songs here are some of the best the band has ever done. It is important to note however that this is in no way a move to the mainstream, as most of the record would sound more at home through a victrola then a radio. Perhaps the Friedbergers realized that the only way they had left to shock us was to make an unshocking record. Lets just hope they find some more up their sleeve by the next LP.

Rating: 8/10
Best Tracks: "Even In The Rain", "Keep Me In The Dark", "Lost At Sea"