Scars and Stories
| The Fray
Scars and Stories
Scars & Stories is the third studio album by American alternative rock band The Fray. It was released on February 7, 2012. - Wikipedia
Critic Reviews
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Billboard
It's not a complete overhaul, but Scars & Stories pushes things perceptibly forward.
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Sputnik Music
The Fray continue plodding down paths already traveled, succeeding in spite of their resemblance to other contemporary piano-rock outfits.
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Idobi
As is, Scars & Stories is a solid pop record, but who knows what The Fray could have produced had they walked more unexplored paths. Rating:
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Rolling Stone
They’re still pumping American-Coldplay ballads full of sky-groping choruses and symphonic rushes. Producer Brendan O’Brien seems to have pushed them to turn down the Chris Martin piano rock a little. But a song about a boxer losing his last bout while his woman calls out his name (“The Fighter”) is a patient beyond song-doctoring.
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Megan Purazrang
This newest endeavor does nothing more than build and sustain the credibility of that beloved impression through many stories that must have buried scars to show.
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Under the Gun Review
You mightn’t take your music this seriously, in which case the record is a mostly enjoyable and comforting listen, one that makes the most of its source material.
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What Culture
The album reeks of a lack of ambition, the product of a band content to rest on its laurels, score a few chart hits, go on tour for the rest of the year and then enter the studio to start all over again. If rock and roll is meant to be fun, someone forgot to tell The Fray.
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Digital Spy
The Fray deliver another collection of soothing pop-rock anthems.
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Rock Haq
They’ve done nothing but go forward and change for the better. Their style has greatly evolved but it’s still as awesome as ever. Isaac’s voice is divine and much more upbeat but with the same deep meanings.
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Alternative Addiction
The new album is great, you just get the sense that it’s not the best Fray record that will be made. Maybe next time.
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The Know
Made up of 12 pop-savvy songs in 45 minutes — with bright, memorable melodies and some of the proven songwriting devices fans have come to expect from the multiplatinum Denver-based band.
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AV Club
Scars & Stories isn’t completely lackluster—the bassline on “Turn Me On” gives the song some much-needed momentum—but ultimately, these mid-tempo, mid-volume tunes flounder in mediocrity.
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EW
Though with lyrics about love and rain and things never being the same, he could’ve just written another love song.
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American Songwriter
The Fray achieves a bigger sounding record a la Coldplay or Switchfoot, but does so in a way that is unmistakably their own.
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Mass Live
The big sprawling anthems and power ballads on this, their third album, sure sound arena-made. Much of it, whether subtly or more direct is a travelogue of sorts, inspired by their worldwide travels on songs like “48 to Go” and “Rainy Zurich.”
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Best Fan
Slade’s emotion behind every single word makes each song worth at least two listens. Forget scars – The Fray will be setting their own stage for good memories to come.
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The Beijinger
They’ve hit on a winning formula that has kept them consistently at the summit of US pop charts for the last seven years and S&S does little to stymie their flow.
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Cleve Scene
They've done it with an unshakeable belief in the healing qualities of their faceless but catchy piano pop. Their third album doesn't budge from the hit-making formula, laying out support with equal doses of earnestness and urgency.
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The Quad
As a whole, the album fits together nicely and is distinguishable from their two previous albums, while at the same time retaining the characteristic features of The Fray—it is uplifting, sentimental, packed with emotion, and full of addictive beats.
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The Banner
It has more than enough potential to be certified gold. Despite the sameness, The Fray is an established band that will always be known for its piano roots, pop rock hooks and Slade’s open-book lyrics.
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Daily Republic
Fray faithful will find little fault with a formula they didn’t think was wrong in the first place, but I remain unimpressed.
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Stereoboard
Basically, what The Fray do is write made for radio safe rock that is musically fine and is technically sound, but to the listener is generally a bit dull. They don't really do anything new, or exciting or influential.
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Foothill Dragon Press
it seems as though they’ve left a mark in the music industry once again. The foursome’s sound has been easily compared to groups such as Coldplay and Keane. So it’s no secret why the band has such a broad fan base. The Fray’s “Scars and Stories” leaves a lasting impression just as real scars and well-told stories do.
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Nicholas Jennings
Although the Fray is rocking out more than ever, the band’s frontman remains one of pop’s most sensitive heartthrobs.
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The Hawkeye
It delivers an eclectic sound, providing something for everyone. Staying true to their sound with full instrumentation and story-telling lyrics, “Scar and Stories” is promising and sure to please the ears of all listeners.
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Where Pen Meets Paper
Scars & Stories is catchy. However, I think that the mediocrity that this album provides will leave critics and thoughtful listeners unimpressed. If The Fray continues with this now monochromatic and vapid formula, they will be extinct very shortly.
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Henk-Jan van der Klis
Scars & Stories is such an album that you can effortlessly hear 10 times in a row on a home working day without becoming annoying. And at the same time I am not really touched by songs.
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Ben Hardicre
In my opinion even though it may take a few plays for fans to really decide whether it is to be labelled as a success, this record is well worth a listen, The Fray are definitely heading in the right direction.
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Big Smile Magazine
While the band doesn’t go to great lengths to recreate themselves (which is good) a part of me still wishes they had more stuff like “Heartbreak” but songs like “48 to Go” and “Munich” are ample replacements and won’t disappoint the die hard fan.
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The Barnard Voice
With the release of S+S, however, it’s clear The Fray is ready to move beyond their post-emo piano rock image. Ordinarily this would be a risky move, but on S+S The Fray gracefully does what they failed to do on their second album: retain their signature style while introducing a new, edgier sound.
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Student Life
Certainly, The Fray’s particular brand of piano-driven pop-rock is always palatable and catchy. But as the album stretches on, the songs begin to merge into undifferentiated, albeit pleasant, mush. Die-hard fans and casual listeners should be happy with “Scars and Stories,” but it is merely a step in the same direction for The Fray.
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Catch AU
The making of Scars and Stories fostered the most evolution the band has ever experienced, both lyrically and musically.
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The Upcoming
Another display of mediocrity in today’s music industry. Whether or not bad reviews even matter for the band is uncertain. There is one thing we can be sure of: The Fray are hell-bent on staying put.
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Illinois Eagle
The Fray’s music has held an element of emotion expressed both through music and lyrics. For fans that have been with the band from the beginning, the reasons for adoring this album will only grow.
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The Edge
The Fray remain a solid rock group who are sure to keep plugging on into the future, even if that future lacks progress.
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New Release Today
On the new recording, the band transforms their real life experiences into a collection of songs that are reflective, but still maintain a pop sensibility. The making of Scars and Stories fostered the most evolution the band has ever experienced, both lyrically and musically.
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Slacker
If they rely a little bit too heavily on O'Brien's incomparable skills, it is a maneuver that means Scars & Stories will satisfy most Fray fans.
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The Pacer
However, overall, I deem this album a success, because it conveys a message, both musically and lyrically, that no one is alone in the battles of life, and scars don’t have to be a place of shame, but can be things that create stories to lift others up.
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Concerts on DVD
The Fray was able to hone their sound with the help of producer Brendan O'Brien (Bruce Springsteen, Pearl Jam, and Neil Young). On the new recording, the band transforms their real life experiences into a collection of songs that are reflective, but still maintain a pop sensibility.
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River Online UK
The album throws up several catchy tracks, but they are not to the standard of previous releases like Over My Head (Cable Car) and You Found Me. With the danger of the ‘same old, same old’ style simply being used in a new album, the band may struggle to reach the fan base they had before. On the other hand, Scars and Stories will please lifelong fans .
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Rock to Dream
What the Fray lacks on Scars & Stories is something that they used to be very good at, and that was giving us songs to sing along to. With less anticipation than it's predecessor, it is difficult to decide if our boys tried too hard this time around, or didn't try enough.
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