'Widow City' is a fun place to live.
There are many reasons to love the Fiery Furnaces, here are some of them:
• 'Single Again.' An absolute barn-storming single, its electro thump and updated folk-rambling on the perils of marriage should be hailed as one of the modern classics.
• They've got a perfect name that just rolls off the tongue and demands to be said over and over.
• The use of medleys in their live set. Like 'Stars On 45' on amphetamine, the bands live show would cut to the chase and blow away the crowd with all the choruses and the best bits in one place.
• "Tropicool...tropicool...icy icy" may not seem a great line when its written down in front of you but when its sung by Elanor Friedberger, its got a magic and charm of its own.
• Elanor Friedberger her self. An enigmatic frontwoman and a typical indie favourite she was the inspiration behind 'Elanor Put Your Boots Back On' by Franz Ferdinand, the sound of the band at their most Beatles-esque.
• Their quirkiness. Be it the lurching between musical sections and time-scales, the far-ranging lyrical prowess and just the general feel they give out.
• Its a brother and sister, they're meant to be fighting so its cool to see some siblings that get on.
• And if you need any more reasons, new album 'Widow City' makes the list as well.
Album opener 'The Philadelphia Grand Jury' captures the essence of The Fiery Furnaces in such a perfect manner that it has to be hailed as the ideal introduction to the act. It lasts for over 7 minutes, there are more different sections than most modern bands know chords and the snapping and barking vocal delivery of Elanor is an absolute joy. Not enough people are called "sons of bitches" these days so its nice that the term still remains.
Phew, with an opening like that it would be easy for an album to take a breath but 'Duplexes Of The Dead' takes the baton perfectly with its mystical sound and rifling drums approach playing underneath the tales of honeymoon. Yes, the band have quite often had an underlying concept to their records and 'Widow City' is no different. Taking the listener through a strange concept of marriage, death and the after affects, it may not be the most obvious approach to an album but it fits in with the bands style and kookiness.
Theres a psychedelic guitar break on 'Ex-Guru' that screams 60s and 70s rock and the sound of the band is one that is taking from the past but still managing to stamp their original touch on it, with the intro to 'Navy Nurse' being hewn from the same influence
Since the bands breakthrough in 2003 with the 'Gallowsbird's Bark' album, its been fair to say that the quality and styles of output by the band have been patchy which is one of the charms of the band, they have their own style and they do what they want to as opposed to what they should do to sell records. For those people who fell in love with their most immediate moments, listen up, 'Widow City' is as close as you're likely to get to those days so get back into listening to the band and digging out tickets for the forthcoming tour because God only knows when The Fiery Furnaces will be back with a record that is as joyous as this.