The Frames
The Cost

THE REVIEW

We are facing the latest work of the Irish band The Frames, led by the red-haired Glen Hansard. Dating back to the now distant 2006, this album was recorded live.

Of course, it may seem an unorthodox choice, but it is the result of a precise decision: The Frames are a band that delivers much more live than in the studio, and Glen wanted to create an album that reflected this characteristic of theirs as much as possible.

I listened to this CD already knowing the main repertoire of the band, and I must say I was surprised, because in some ways it returns to sounds similar to those of the album "For The Birds".
You can also feel a bit of the influence of The Swell Season, the side project of Hansard and Irglova. In fact, we find as many as 2 tracks (“Falling Slowly” and “When Your Mind’s Made Up”) that were already present in the self-titled album, rearranged to make them more Frames-like and less Swell Season-like.

We are faced with an album devoid of any instrumental virtuosity, but capable of capturing the listener thanks to the emotion of its songs, which Hansard’s voice enhances like few other artists can.
There are also lighter and more pop episodes, like the amusing “Sad Songs,” or on the contrary the very sad “The Cost,” imbued with heavily distorted electric guitar, which accompanies Glen’s powerful voice from start to finish, then enhances everything in the explosive finale.

Some might find false steps in this album, perhaps “The Side You Never Get To See” is the flattest track of the disk, and the vocal solo by Glen towards the end of the song does little to help.
Honestly, every time I listen to it, however, I can listen to it all the way from start to finish without a shred of boredom.

In conclusion, I would recommend this record to those who can appreciate the simplicity of an artist who proposes nothing revolutionary, but knows how to do it damn well.