Blue Fringe's "The Whole World Lit Up" sounds nice and the boys have nice voices

I guess I'm a real music blog now. A nice fellow at Craig & Co. sent me a copy of Blue Fringe's latest "The Whole World Lit Up" and Mare Winningham's "Refuge Rock Sublime." He hoped I might mention them on my blog. That was four weeks ago, so I'd probably should get at it.

I've got a couple of impressions about the Blue Fringe album and I'll get to them in a minute. The first thing I want to say is that my daughter really likes them. Now, she's four and not necessarily a great judge of music (her usual favorite include the Dora the Explorer album and Sandra Boynton's 'Dog Train".) but she hears a lot of 'Papa' music and usually wrinkles her nose at it. 'The Whole World Lit Up,' though, she liked enough that she's asked me to play it. When I asked her why, she summed up the whole review I'd been assembling in about 10 words.

"It sounds nice. The boys have nice voices"

And they do sound nice and they do have nice voices. I haven't heard Blue Fringe live (I'm told they are a great live band) and haven't hear their ealier albums (I'm told they're a lot grungier) so I can't compare, but this is a nice album. I'm not usually a big fan of nice albums, I tend toward things a bit scruffier or more complicated than nice but 'The Whole World Lit Up" has been in heavier rotation than I would have expected. I guess I needed a little nice lately.

While the guys aren't song writer's per se, only getting credit for English lyrics on a couple of the tracks, there are some really interesting and enjoyable arrangements. The lead off tracks 'Etz Chaim' and "Eshett Chayil" are great fun, as is "Anayni". Some of the other tracks are a bit bland for me, but pleasant enough.

I was particularly surprised by their cover of the Flaming Lips "Do You Realize." It's a fabulous song. I find it pretty soul wrenching, but in a postive way and well worth covering. The Lip's have a very off-kilter, rock and roll carnival, kind of sound that give their arrangement a court jester, only the fool can tell the truth, feeling. Blue Fringe's arrangement, and it's placement on an album with an unapologetically religious context, allows the spiritual qualities of the song come foward. Unfortunately, their nicer, smoother, arrangement waters down much of the musical tension in the song by adding some unnecessary 'ooh's' and "ahhs" that really annoyed me. Just a bit too nice.

You can catch clips of "The Whole World Lit Up" at the Samaech Music website. There are, as there should be, lots of just two Blue Fringe videos at YouTube and you can also check out the Flaming Lips original 'Do You Realize' arrangement on YouTube. Here' a live video of Blue Fringe performing Eishet Chayil from "The Whole World Lit Up" for Samaech's Podcast.

Blue Fringe - Eishet Chayil - Sameach Podcast


Nice, right?


Thanks to Julie for pointing out that there are only two Blue Fringe videos and for pointing me to the Blue Fringe website for the track "My Awakening" from their first album. It's pretty cool and gives me a better idea about where they've been, musically. I like how the song builds and releases tension. I bet that one's great to hear live. What's really interesting is that the website has two additional, hidden, tracks after "My Awakening." The first is a live track. I didn't catch the title but it's the best thing I've heard from Blue Fringe yet. These guys can really tight and really jam. I see why they're so popular live. The second is a great out-take from a recording session. Good stuff. It's acoustic with a rawer sound that works better for me. Darn. Now I'll have to go out and buy the album. Double darn. I just listened to title track to their second album '70 Faces.' It's outstanding. It's got this crazy 70's funk rhythm and horns and I am so a sucker for that. Now I'll need both albums.