The Fiery Furnaces 'I'm Going Away'

Bonkers.

The Fiery Furnaces, brother and sister Matt and Eleanor Friedberger and assorted helpers, have walked the line between genius and madness for six years now, rarely has a band divided opinion so much.

I first came across The Furnaces when their debut 'Gallowsbird's Bark' was released in 2003. It was a likeable set of stripped down indie rock songs that drew comparison with The White Stripes but aside from a lyrical quirkiness did not at all hint at what was to come. I saw them play at 2004's ATP and was utterly blown away- 45 minutes of the most enjoyable live music I had ever witnessed. They played a medley of songs from their debut mixed with songs from the forthcoming follow up, it was frenetic, off the cuff and quite brilliant. I left the hall to hear many other people saying what I had just said..."that was incredible".

So too was the record that followed. 'Blueberry Boat' was a sprawling concept album taking in subjects as wide ranging as piracy (as in...with real pirates...on the seas), lost dogs and Champions League football. The sound was dominated by organ and frequent slide guitar solos, the vocals were shared, stories were told...it was funny but also touching and it had melodies to die for. Many wrote it off, the NME gave it 1/10, but to those who believed, it was one of the greatest things ever recorded. Really. That good.

Since then, The Furnaces seem to have been so desperate to make even grander statements that the plot has been lost somewhat. They recorded an album that was sung in the main by their 80 year old Grandmother, they released two further, difficult concept albums and they released a 54 track live album with no tracklisting and instructions not to try to listen to it all at once. There was just too much music, too many words, too many song titles and it was not easy to keep up.

Now, with 'I'm Going Away', the Friedbergers are back on track. This is their best record since 'Blueberry Boat' and their most accessible album to date. Ironically, this may disappoint their most ardent fans.

'I'm Going Away' is short, punchy and has no great concept. Its a collection of bluesy rock songs, led by organ and electric guitar. Eleanor sings most of the songs, and we are talking about songs here, rather than pieces of music. Songs like 'Drive To Dallas', a gorgeous ballad and 'Charmaine Champagne' a frantic, funky rocker that somehow reminds me of The Hold Steady . It is feelgood stuff with some exceptionally catchy melodies, notably on 'Even In The Rain' which is all handclaps, piano and a melody that you can't believe hasn't been written before.

It is an exceptionally enjoyable record and 'Take Me Round Again', a big 'lets do the show right here' sing-along epic finishes the record perfectly, leaving the listener wanting more.

The Fiery Furnaces have plenty to offer and 'I'm Going Away' is the best thing they could have done at this point. Without the prog and the difficult lyrics, this is a fun record. If you liked the first two albums, it is safe to buy this album!

8.8

[I'm Going Away' is out now on Thrill Jockey]