Review Summary: Hindered Abel & Benjamin Trapt with a Staind Creed & Nickel for 3 Days.
“Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me”. It is a phrase which advocates learning from one’s mistakes, but inherently built into its message is that the party doing the fooling is the same on both occasions. When it comes to music, it would seem that the party in question would be a particular artist… However, could the saying be stretched to entire genres? Case in point is yours truly and the much denounced genre of mainstream rock. Many bands who ply their trade on worldwide rock radio tend to release a debut LP which suggests much promise. Logic would dictate that natural growth and general room for improvement would mean that said band would only get better with subsequent albums. Yet, time and time again, the exact opposite occurs. Let me introduce you to another such outfit; Framing Hanley.
On 2007’s debut ‘The Moment’, the Nashville quintet impressed with their effective dual guitar attack and Kenneth Nixon’s strong vocals. Unfortunately, it was neither of these strengths - nor killer lead single ‘Hear Me Now’ - which got them noticed, but an attention-seeking cover of Lil’ Wayne’s ‘Lollipop’. Consequently, a decision has clearly been made to appeal to as large an audience as possible on follow-up album ‘A Promise To Burn’. The result is predominantly harmless radio-rock fodder, with practically all of the rough, slightly heavier edges of their debut gone in favor of a more melodic, slickly produced product.
‘A Promise To Burn’ does begin well with anthemic pseudo opener ‘The Promise’ highlighting Framing Hanley’s knack for soaring, emotionally charged vocals and melodic guitar lines. ‘Wake Up’ and ‘Warzone’ continue the momentum with catchy sing-along choruses, while the Breaking Benjamin like lead single ‘You Stupid Girl’ adds a dark and sinister edge that is missed elsewhere. As the album approaches its mid-section however, simple power chords become prevalent and a number of tracks blend into each other. Nixon oddly channels Chicago’s Peter Cetera on the dated soft rock of ‘Weight of the World’, while synthy pop-rocker ‘Back To Go Again’ (containing the lyrical nugget: “This isn’t a song about candy, but we’re suckers all the same”) also seems out of place. The cheesy ‘Fool With Dreams’ is better, but the uplifting lyrics contained within this successive trio eventually become overbearing.
As ‘A Promise To Burn’ approaches its overdue (at 13 tracks and 48 minutes) denouement, you can almost sense Framing Hanley making a last ditch attempt to infuse some much-needed ambition and experimentation into proceedings. Unfortunately, the results are once more mixed. The heaviest track on the album ‘Livin’ So Divine’ isn’t especially distinctive, while ballad ‘You’ just drifts on disappointingly. The real risks come on the album’s final two tracks however, as both ‘Photographs and Gasoline’ and ‘The Burn’ cross the five minute barrier and appear completely removed from what has come before them. The former may be a grower and does include flashes of brilliance, but the moodier atmospherics are ultimately beyond the band. The near-epic closer works better though, impressively coming together as it reaches its choral vocal and guitar solo climax.
In a sense, ‘A Promise To Burn’ is a telling album title in more ways than one. Firstly, it is a coming together of the LP’s opening and closing tracks, which are clearly the best it has to offer. Furthermore however, it unwittingly sums up Framing Hanley’s progression from debut album to follow-up; A lot of promise being burnt. Where the band’s potential lay in their maturity allowing them to become more ambitious with song structure and sound over time, they have chosen to predominantly take the opposite direction and play it much safer by aiming for the airwaves. ‘A Promise To Burn’ is passable, consistent enough and does not crash and burn (as it threatens to do on more than one occasion), but it is ultimately a disappointing release from a band that this reviewer held higher hopes for. Fool me twice, shame on me.
Recommended Tracks: The Promise, The Burn & You Stupid Girl.
