Review Summary: Scorned by droning synthetic noises and generally unremarkable tracks, Eyes Wide sounds more like a poorly-mixed collection of B-sides than what its title promises.
Overall Review
In their previous releases past
Costello Music, The Fratellis have been adapting their sound with each new album, bringing in a new theme or a few instruments to fit a specific tune. For
Here We Stand, a more British rock-influenced piano was shuffled into a mix of punchy songs with a signature Fratellis style. For the infamous
We Need Medicine, a big-band sound heavy with brass and experimentation made the album sound honest, though not particularly keeping the interest of their initial fanbase. The three-song
Soul Crush EP stood shakily on the border of country music and very slow indie rock, though still promising well for the future of the band.
Eyes Wide, of course, continues down this path of uncertainty, integrating a new, synthetic undertone to many of the tracks. And from the moment it kicks in and buzzes through your headphones, you begin to think something's wrong with the recording.
If
We Need Medicine sought to alienate those not as open-minded to the music displayed by the band,
Eyes Wide, Tongue Tied is the second-half of an effort to purify the fanbase. Putting aside everything else about the songs, the synth presents itself as the largest wound of the album, appearing in tracks as gracefully as a mosquito bite and being just as welcome as one. Its ceaseless presence detracts from any "tongue-tied" wonder that any listener would've intended to have, adding to the continued disappointment that the album has to offer.
The noise alone, of course, is not the only issue with the latest Fratellis effort, and certainly not enough to drop it down to a 2.5 rating. The rest of this is contributed by poorly-composed songs and mediocre playing strewn into a pot and overcooked. The album's sound bounces from overdone lovey ballads, songs that grip loosely onto former successes, and even clown music. (Yes. Clown music.) The incoherency makes the album seem less of something entitled
Eyes Wide, Tongue Tied, but more along the lines of
Jon Fratelli and the Synthetic Circus. Lyrical quality remains at a solid "eh", though with less charm as
We Need Medicine and its classic-rock sound.
The release is not without its hits or semi-listenable tracks. The second single "Baby Don't You Lie to Me!" is fast-paced and entertaining, and perhaps one of the few songs that drowns out the synth corruptions at times. "Too Much Wine" sounds like something that could fit snugly into
Here We Stand, while "Getting Surreal" reuses the melody of
Soul Crush to create a slightly-better composition. The biggest curiosity is the removal of two particular tracks from the finished product, instead appearing on the deluxe edition of the album. "Down the Road and Back... Again" would have easily been my favorite track on the record, while "Medusa In Chains" is both a solid track and the progenitor of the album's namesake.
Scorned by droning synthetic noises and generally unremarkable tracks,
Eyes Wide sounds more like a poorly-mixed collection of B-sides than what its title promises. The album is congested with mediocrity and garnished with too much of everything (wine not included?), not managing to blend into a particular style as previous releases have. It's uncertain as to what their next musical evolution will bring, but one can only hope that the next incarnation sacrifices the alphabet soup of styles that The Fratellis have been forcing upon their fanbase.
Track Reviews
"Me and the Devil": One of the many circus-sounding songs on the album, the track chugs along with a rather lazy drum/bass beat and misses a lot of opportunity that would have made it a solid opener.
"Impostors (Little by Little)": Thematic and honest, the sound comes off as slightly more country-sounding than the acoustic feel listeners may be used to.
"Baby Don't You Lie to Me!": Unapologetically energetic, the song only lets up briefly before returning to the raunchy, piano-driven fun that The Fratellis are known for delivering.
"Desperate Guy": A typical slow song that's rather silly in writing, though not too tiresome for another Fratelli-y love song.
"Thief": Rather forced-sounding and an attempt to get more radio-play, "Thief" wastes much of its potential in recycled melodies, though it's still an acceptable listen.
"Dogtown": The most circus-sounding song on the album, it starts out with a cool, head-bobbing beat before descending into clown-territory for its choruses. Missed opportunity at its finest, though it does happen to grow on you after initial weirdness and shock.
"Rosanna": "Desperate Guy", but with more circus themes and static. It's almost exhausting to listen to.
"Slow": An apt title for the song, it's likely going to bore you if you're just here for the faster ones. The only noteworthy thing about it is that it's the closest a song has gotten to making me cry, despite being impossibly cheesy at its second verse.
"Getting Surreal": More circus music, though with a more authentic flair stolen from "Rosanna"'s string work and a melody perfected from "Soul Crush". Ignore the elephants during the middle and it's a reasonable listen.
"Too Much Wine": If every Fratellis album has that one song that you dance around like an idiot to, this is probably the one. Not particularly the best or most memorable, but this nonetheless.
"Moonshine": If you threw this into a mix of The Beatles' slow, "Sun King"-sounding songs, you could probably get away with people not noticing it's from a different band. Take that information as you may.
