The Fiery Furnaces have so thoroughly trained their listeners to expect weirdness that it's almost weirder when they're (relatively) straightforward. Not that the band's music has ever been predictable, but from Blueberry Boat onward, it was likely that a Fiery Furnaces song would have hyper-literate lyrics and a sprawling melody embellished with -- and frequently interrupted by -- wild tangents and synth-driven flights of fancy. They took that fragmented sound to such a dazzling extreme on the collaged live album Remember that it looked hard to top, and they don't try to on I'm Going Away. Instead, Matthew and Eleanor Friedberger and company hone their pop instincts, put the focus on their flair for hooks and melodies, and turn in some of their most direct and tuneful songs since Gallowsbird's Bark. More than a few of I'm Going Away's tracks nod to the band's early days: the title track is an arty rave-up that turns a traditional song into anything but, much like the band did with "Single Again" back in the day; the jaunty "Charmaine Champagne," like most of Gallowsbird's best moments, allows Eleanor's engaging voice to lead the way over a fist-shaking, toe-tapping beat. The Furnaces also sound more organic than they have in some time, with the intimate production dominated by piano and Rhodes suggesting '70s sitcom music (they even name-checked Bob James' wry theme song for the classic TV series Taxi as inspiration in the album's press release). Those keyboards add some of that bittersweet feel to "The End Is Near," a world-weary ballad with a finality that the Friedbergers' dual vocals only soften a little, and "Lost at Sea," a piece of classic-sounding piano pop with a buoyant coda. While it's easy to read I'm Going Away's simpler, mellower sound as a reaction to the maximalist experiments of Blueberry Boat through Widow City, the Fiery Furnaces still find ways to keep listeners' ears on their figurative toes: "Drive to Dallas" is positively elastic, starting with a wistful, stretched-out melody that snaps into a flurry of activity, while "Even in the Rain" takes its almost ridiculously catchy melody on some detours with odd key changes and tempo shifts. The Fiery Furnaces do tiptoe onto the elaborate ground they've already covered on I'm Going Away's second half with "Staring at the Steeple"'s sinister rock and jazzy segues and "Keep Me in the Dark"'s globe-trotting intrigue, but their muscular playing keeps things more grounded than they've been in the past. Ironically enough, these songs feel more "live" than Remember did, especially on the "Charmaine Champagne" reprise "Cups & Punches" and rousing finale "Take Me Round Again," both of which add to the album's indie rock revue feel. I'm Going Away is a departure that fits in with the rest of the Fiery Furnaces' work, and it's only fitting that a band this creative can pull something like that off.
Keeping in stride with their former albums, I’m Going Away is a playful and spastic collage of eclectic throwbacks and sporadic ragtime jingles. Littered with punk notes and surreal, jerky, sing-a-longs, this album is bit too emotionally guarded and at times plagued with annoyingly repetitive choruses (i.e. “Take Me Round Again"). Reminds us of: The Dirty Projectors | Mates of State | The
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Fiery Furnacesby Andres Jauregui • July 17, 2009Fiery FurnacesI'm Going Away(Thrill Jockey, 2009)Look around New York City these days, and you might get a case of second-hand déjà vu. With a depressed economy, a broke government, a housing slump, and a budget rock in ascent on the city's "fringes," it's starting to feel a lot like 1970-whatever ova' hea'. Thankfully, public distress can yield
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Seven albums into their career and New York indie act The Fiery Furnaces may have made their most accessible album to date. It may still be outside the spectrum of mainstream rock, but I'm Going Away should be ease to digest for most indie fans.The album opens with the brother and sister duo of Matthew and Eleanor Friedberger performing in their usual intriguing style. The album opener "I'm
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The Fiery Furnaces I'm Going Away [Thrill Jockey; 2009] Links: The Fiery Furnaces | Thrill Jockey | Purchase on Insound Posted by Bill Delaney on 29 June 2009 It's been two years since the Fiery Furnaces' last studio album. Considering they've released (at least) one LP per year since Gallowsbird's Bark in 2003 through their 2007 effort Widow [...]
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No, not a break-up announcement: a new album. Fiery Furnaces will release an all-new, brand spanking album on July 21 2009 via Thrill Jockey Records. Going by the name of I'm Going Away it will be the band's seventh studio album together (or sixth if you fall on the other side of the gulf as to whether or not third album EP qualified as an album).
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The Fiery Furnaces have released their latest album back on 7/14/09 on Amazon.com with a wide release today 7/21/09. And what makes this even more exciting is the price on Amazon.com! Only $3.99!!!!! What a deal.(UPDATE 7/22: I just clicked on the following link and it's now $8.99, that didn't last long! Damnit, sorry gang. Glad I got it before it changed.) You can find it here:http://www.amazo...
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Seven albums into their career and New York indie act The Fiery Furnaces may have made their most accessible album to date. It may still be outside the spectrum of mainstream rock, but I'm Going Away should be ease to digest for most indie fans.The album opens with the brother and sister duo of Matthew and Eleanor Friedberger performing in their usual intriguing style. The album opener "I'm
More >
Fiery Furnacesby Andres Jauregui • July 17, 2009Fiery FurnacesI'm Going Away(Thrill Jockey, 2009)Look around New York City these days, and you might get a case of second-hand déjà vu. With a depressed economy, a broke government, a housing slump, and a budget rock in ascent on the city's "fringes," it's starting to feel a lot like 1970-whatever ova' hea'. Thankfully, public distress can yield
More >
In a strange but interesting move, Brooklynite duo Fiery Furnaces have just released a remix-like LP that reincarnates their newest record 'I'm Going Away' in a completely solo-based way. Basically, six of the twelves songs have been re-recorded in solo format from male member Matt Friedberger in Michigan whilst the other six were recorded solo from female member Eleanor Friedberger in New York.
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The Fiery Furnaces I'm Going Away [Thrill Jockey; 2009] Links: The Fiery Furnaces | Thrill Jockey | Purchase on Insound Posted by Bill Delaney on 29 June 2009 It's been two years since the Fiery Furnaces' last studio album. Considering they've released (at least) one LP per year since Gallowsbird's Bark in 2003 through their 2007 effort Widow [...]
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Here’s a novel idea, The Fiery Furnaces have decided to cover themselves. Kind of weird huh? So, the next question is “what are they covering?” No, it’s not Blueberry Boat, settle down, it’s a re-imagining of their last album I’m Going Away. The cover album is called Take Me Round Again and you can hear it right HERE. Just click on the track titles on the right side of the screen and t
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Indie faves The Fiery Furnaces have announced the release of their next studio album. I'm Going Away will hit the streets July 21st.Here's a look at the track listing:I'm Going AwayDrive to DallasThe End is NearCharmaine ChampagneCut the CakeEven in the RainStaring at the SteepleRay BouvierKeep Me in the DarkLost At SeaCups and PunchesTake Me Round AgainThe Fiery Furnaces' websiteThe Fiery
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New Fiery Furnaces video. I'm Going Away is out now on Thrill Jockey.The Fiery Furnaces official site.
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Cookie-cutter songs and bands aren’t what we focus on here, so when we saw this week’s releasing groups we saw the influences of other artists, but we also saw some real talent waiting to be ...Related posts:New Album Releases For Tuesday 4/28/2009New Album Releases For Tuesday 5/5/2009New Album Releases For Tuesday 7/28/2009
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Keeping in stride with their former albums, I’m Going Away is a playful and spastic collage of eclectic throwbacks and sporadic ragtime jingles. Littered with punk notes and surreal, jerky, sing-a-longs, this album is bit too emotionally guarded and at times plagued with annoyingly repetitive choruses (i.e. “Take Me Round Again"). Reminds us of: The Dirty Projectors | Mates of State | The
More >
The Fiery Furnaces have unleashed what might be the perfect summer record with Im Going Away, their seventh studio album (eighth if you count the mind-fuck of patched-together live medleys that was 2008s Remember). The new record honors that breakneck runners pace and cartoonish spasmodic riffing that are at the...
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New York brother/sister duo The Fiery Furnaces have only just released their newest LP, 'I'm Going Away' and already, a new video for track four from the album has been unveiled. Titled Charmaine Champagne, the track is a jovail, jaunty funk-rock slice of greatness and the same can be said for its colourful video.
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The Fiery Furnaces have announced details of a new album, due out in July via Thrill Jockey.
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Joe Walker of Breakfast at Sulimay’s fame interviews Matthew and Eleanor Friedberger about upcoming Fiery Furnaces album I'm Going Away. As is often the case with his interviews...
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| Title | Lyrics | Buy |
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| 1 I'm Going Away |
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| 2 Drive to Dallas |
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| 3 The End Is Near |
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| 4 Charmaine Champagne |
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| 5 Cut the Cake |
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| 6 Even in the Rain |
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| 7 Staring at the Steeple |
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| 8 Ray Bouvier |
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| 9 Keep Me in the Dark |
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| 10 Lost at Sea |
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| 11 Cups & Punches |
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| 12 Take Me Round Again |
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Click to purchase…
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 "I'm Going Away")
