Moonsigns
|
Band Guide
|
Blogs
|
In Pictures
|
Adult
Boston
|
Portland
|
Providence
Music
CD Reviews
|
Download
|
Live Reviews
|
Music Features
|
New England Music News
The Color Fred
Peanut Butter Wolf Presents 2K8: B-Ball Zombie War
CD Reviews
Fiery Furnaces
Widow City | Thrill Jockey
By
RICHARD BECK
|
December 3, 2007
FIERY FURNACES, WIDOW CITY
" alt="photo of 'FIERY FURNACES, WIDOW CITY'">
1.5
Stars
Ever since the release of their 76-minute sophomore album,
Blueberry Boat
(Rough Trade), Brooklyn’s Fiery Furnaces — the brother-and-sister duo of Matthew and Eleanor Friedberger — have been lauded as one of indie rock’s more ambitious, idiosyncratic bands. On that disc, they moved on from the guitar/drums immediacy of garage rock to a more textured approach that deployed dozens of instruments (keyboards, drum machines, and a whole bucket of samples and loops) and topped it off with references as disparate as pirates, Damascus, and the White Sox. Then in 2005, they got their grandmother involved by soundtracking her storytelling on
Rehearsing My Choir
(Rough Trade). Both releases contributed to their reputation as a band with an overflow of ideas. On
Widow City
, however, the duo’s intellectual expansiveness leads into shallow waters. They’ve developed an annoying penchant for alliteration: lyrics like “Mopes in the moonlight on the mesa in March,” references to “the petrol pump” and a “crazy quilts and collectibles collection,” song titles like “Wicker Whatnots” abound. And it’s not clear what any of it means. Loquacity is no crime, but Fiery Furnaces are trying too hard to be clever. Not much is going on in the music, either, as they switch clumsily back and forth between raucous guitars and tinkling pianos. There’s plenty in the way of ambition on
Widow City
, but little substance to back it up.
Fiery Furnaces + MGMT + Michael Goodman and the Mike | Great Scott, 1222 Comm Ave, Allston | December 10 | 617.566.9014
Related
:
Deadboy and the Elephantmen
We Are Night Sky | Fat Possum
The Fiery Furnaces
Bitter Tea | Fat Possum
Guest lists
What 30 of the Phoenix 's music critics liked this year
More
Deadboy and the Elephantmen
We Are Night Sky | Fat Possum
The Fiery Furnaces
Bitter Tea | Fat Possum
Guest lists
What 30 of the Phoenix 's music critics liked this year
Dax Riggs
We Sing of Only Blood or Love | Fat Possum
Perfect pairing
Drug Rug turn a relationship into a band
Less
Topics
:
CD Reviews
,
The Fiery Furnaces
,
Eleanor Friedberger
Share
:
Rss
Email
Print
Comments
Add a Comment
ARTICLES BY RICHARD BECK
THE PLAY’S THE THING
| June 30, 2008
The audial oddities of Blevin Blectum
SILVER JEWS
| June 24, 2008
Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea | Drag City
DIMINISHING RETURNS
| July 09, 2008
The Hold Steady make it hard to Stay Positive
IRI-DECENT
| May 29, 2008
Kanye West and Rihanna at Tweeter Center, May 15, 2008
BANGERS + MUSH
| May 21, 2008
Dizzee Rascal and El P at the Middle East Downstairs, May 11, 2008
See all articles by:
RICHARD BECK
MOST POPULAR
Most Viewed
Most Emailed
PHOTOS: NORTH KOREA'S SURREAL MASS GAMES
While everyone else watches the Olympics, Asia's weirdest sporting event transpires in the world's most secretive country
PHOTOS: LOLLAPALOOZA 2008
Rage Against the Machine, Radiohead, Gnarls Barkley, Girl Talk, Broken Social Scene, Cat Power, Grizzly Bear, and more
IN HARM'S WAY
The tragedy of Rakan Hassan and the impossibility of a Hippocratic Oath for journalists
POT LUCK
No guilt trips in Pineapple Express
CHINA, TIBET, AND THE OLYMPICS
Buddhist scholar Robert Thurman explains the Dalai Lama’s political wisdom, the myopia of the Chinese, and the essence of the Olympics
IN HARM'S WAY
The tragedy of Rakan Hassan and the impossibility of a Hippocratic Oath for journalists
CHINA, TIBET, AND THE OLYMPICS
Buddhist scholar Robert Thurman explains the Dalai Lama’s political wisdom, the myopia of the Chinese, and the essence of the Olympics
THE REIGN OF SPAIN
Never mind the Olympics — the Spanish are the big winners of 2008. Are Obama and McCain aware of this new European powerhouse?
MURDER, SHE WROTE
Interview: Tana French's deep crime novels
BEIJING STING
Exposed: A top-secret government memorandum, obtained this past week by the Phoenix, gives the games away
BEIJING STING
Exposed: A top-secret government memorandum, obtained this past week by the Phoenix, gives the games away
HOT TOPICS
Boston Symphony Orchestra
,
Kim Deal
,
Radiohead
,
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
,
Harvard University
,
Kurt Weill
,
James Levine
,
James Robinson
,
John Harbison
,
Brian Eno
More Topics
. . .
LATEST SLIDESHOWS
Photos: Lollapalooza 2008
Photos: North Korea's surreal Mass Games
All Slideshows
Featured Articles in CD Reviews
:
Boxed and ready
The cream of the season’s CD/DVD crop
Cult Cargo
Grand Bahama Goombay | Numero
Kaiser Chiefs
Yours Truly, Angry Mob | Universal
Dean and Britta
Back Numbers | Zoë/Rounder
Elvis Perkins
Ash Wednesday | XL
Friday, August 08, 2008
|
Sign In
|
Register
thePhoenix.com:
Home
Listings
Editor's Picks
News
Music
Film + TV
Food + Drink
Life
Arts
Rec Room
Video
Phoenix Media/Communications Group:
Boston Phoenix
Portland Phoenix
Providence Phoenix
StuffAtNight
People2People
MassWeb Printing
G8Wave
About Us
Contact Us
Advertise With Us
Work For Us
Sitemap
RSS
Mobile
StuffAtNight Latest:
Tim Collins @ Night
Kristi McNeil @ Night
FNX Latest:
Rick Springfield! Chris Forsberg! The WTF Line!
WARNING: Miley says good morning!
TODAY'S FEATURED ADVERTISERS
Copyright © 2008 The Phoenix Media/Communications Group