After the release of 2006's Bitter Tea from Brooklyn brother-sister duo The Fiery Furnaces, Eleanor Friedberger stated the album was "definitely the poppiest thing we've done." But it's not until the album's last track, "Benton Harbor Blues (Again)," that the statement comes to fruition. From a band that prizes itself on esoteric rambling and dissonant charm, the song's syncopated bass line and clean upstroke of the guitar form an uncharacteristically clear vision of soulful pop. Friedberg's lyrics may tell the story of a convict pondering past regrets on the streets of Benton Harbor, Michigan, but the lightly picked acoustic guitar and gigantic and soaring organ suggest otherwise.
Fiery Furnaces - "Benton Harbor Blues (Again)" (from Bitter Tea)
"Benton Harbor Blues" is one of the finest songs the band has ever written. And for that matter, I'm in the minority that thinks Bitter Tea was a spectacular album. Good stuff.
ReplyDeleteCouldn't agree more, Jeff.
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