Burn the Maps

The Frames

4 Stars

It’s no surprise if you haven’t heard of The Frames — it’s just unfortunate. You probably didn’t hear about Nick Drake either, until he became a soundtrack favorite well after his career came and went. But Nick Drake is dead, The Frames are not. In fact, they are very much alive and their most recent release proves it. This Irish band’s first album, Fitzcarraldo, was released 10 years ago, followed by five albums that fell through the cracks of the American radar until now.

Burn the Maps is the band’s 2005 worldwide release that should give a deserving band past-due international respect. After listening to Maps without first giving their previous albums a try, it won’t surprise you to find out they have so many notches on their belt. They have a well-developed, comforting sound, containing brilliant depth and layering. With themes ranging from existential tones to the classic girl-breaks-heart, the 12 tracks have a wide variety of tempo and feel.

“Dream Awake” is the album’s all-star track containing a tidal wave of sound, crashing into a serene eye-closing, head-bobbing response. Lead singer Glen Hansard’s somber Irish voice perfectly matches most of the songs’ darker tones. A few songs, like the powerful “Underglass,” are even reminiscent of the Pixies’ “Doolittle.” The album ends on a subtle and lovely note with “Suffer in Silence” and “Locusts,” wisely letting the listener down softly to contemplate the emotional state of the album.

I can’t explain why The Frames have eluded us in the States until now. It’s unfortunate because previous albums like For the Birds and Dance the Devil are also appealing in their own right. Burn the Maps is with a beautiful album as soothing and comfortable as a favorite book that leaves you wanting more.

— Tyler McNally

Time Well Wasted

Brad Paisley

2.5 Stars

Time Well Wasted opens with “The World,” a super-slick, country-pop ode of devotion to Paisley’s girl. “To the world, you may be just another girl, but to me, baby, you are the world.” It’s supposed to be reassuring that, hey, maybe no one else gives a flip – but I do. And that’s about as deep as he’s going. It’s the same point restated, only in different words, in songs like “Waitin’ on a Woman,” “Love is Never Ending” and “She’s Everything,” in which he compares his woman to a “Saturn with a sun-roof.” When he isn’t lovin’ up on some woman, he’s trying to get one back (“I’ll Take You Back,” “Flowers”). And when there are no women around, Paisley’s affection turns to parking lots (“Out in the Parking Lot”).

It’s all comical lyrics and cutesy one-liners, only not as cute as before (as on 2003’s Mud on the Tires). This time around, the formula is tired. Sure, the instrumentation is clean, crisp, and slightly countrified, the hooks polished to radio-play perfection, and Paisley’s pure, behaved tenor hits all the right notes. But we’ve heard this already.

The non-stop radio play of lead single “Alcohol” has revealed a shared trait between the song and its namesake — after having too much you’ll be sicker than a dog. At best, the whole album is like a night of heavy drinking — it’s all fun and games until someone pukes their guts out.

— Nick Connell