I have gone back and forth on whether to consider
this a new band or not, having already done a concert review for frnkieroandthe cellabration.
As much as I mourn the absence of HoCho and welcome the
return of conventional spacing and spelling (unless "patience"
actually refers to people under the medical care), I am going on the premise
that the most important factor in continuity is Frank himself, and that it is
reasonable to view this outing as a continuation, and evolution.
The first thing you notice is that Parachutes
is much louder than Stomachaches. That might not be the right word, but
there was something low-key before that is gone. You hear it right away on the
opening track, "World Destroyer". (The title implies a certain
aggression.)
It's not all anger. Right after "World
Destroyer" you go into "Veins! Veins! Veins!" which has an
exultant feel. It reminds me of "Joyriding", so there are definitely
connections between the 2014 and 2016 albums, but there is still a noticeable
difference.
The track that tied it together for me was "Remedy",
when the word "stomachaches" jumped out at me.
Listening further, the song contains a conflict of
being ruined by being fixed; the remedy is a malady, and there is no solution
for the new malady. Most significantly, it ends "until you came through
and made me believe I was worth being saved." The wish in
"Joyriding" was "I hope I die before they save my soul".
There are many ways in which it is easier not to
feel and love and hope, and yet all of the hardship together brings something
better. At least it can.
Parachutes is alive with emotion. Stomachaches had feelings, but Parachutes
feels like they have all broken through and are spilling over. Everything is
messy now. "Oceans" just aches, and "Miss Me" is so
plaintive it's almost country. There had been a little safety reserved before,
but now everything is out and open.
There is a terrifying plunge up head, and having a
parachute can make that work.
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