CD: Anti 6749-2
RELEASED: 2005
LABEL: Anti-

01. Happy
02. Finally
03. Dream Awake
04. A Caution to the Birds
05. Trying
06. Fake
07. Sideways Down
08. Underglass
09. Ship Caught in the Bay
10. Keepsake
11. Suffer in Silence
12. Locusts

There's a lot riding on 'Burn the Maps', The Frames' first studio album in three years. 2001's 'For the Birds' was released on their own Plateau label and started the regeneration of a band who had suffered more than most from the slings and arrows of outrageous record company fortune. Now, 15-years-old, fresh from headlining Marlay Park and after signing a deal with prestigious Californian label Anti, they're a band finally coming into their prime. In The Frames' case, what has not broken them has truly made them stronger and their new line-up - no more Dave Hingerty on drums and the replacement of guitarist Dave Odlum by former Electrical Audio Studios recording engineer Rob Bochnik - are a tight and talented unit. After their live album 'For the Birds', 'Burn the Maps' has a richer texture and more lush production. Like 'Santa Maria' on that album, many of the tracks here have quiet, simple starts that gradually build complexity and volume. 'Finally' lifts, dips and lifts for frontman Glen Hansard to raggedly scream his way to the end while there's a nod to Mercury Rev's epic soundscapes on 'A Caution to the Birds'. Bassist Joe Doyle shares vocal duties on final track, the downtempo and acoustic 'Locusts'. It's a bittersweet ending that will leave you wanting to play the album all over again. Perhaps the greatest triumph of The Frames is that they have never stopped developing their sound, and still they are simple, honest songwriters. The Frames offer no gimmicks or special effects, just 300 of themselves.

Influences / Similar Artists:
An Emotional Fish, The Pixies, A.C. Acoustics, Something Happens