The Fiery Furnaces: "Benton Harbor Blues"

Once, in another time and place, I was an unbeliever, and for that, I am sorry. It’s true: I did not believe in the Fiery Furnaces. There was something about the kitsch, the brother-sister gag, and the endless aberrations on a single melody that seemed antithetical to truly great music. Anybody who seriously spent the summer of 2004 listening to Blueberry Boat on repeat was held at arm’s length, or, at the least, viewed with suspicion (I maintain that the best moments of that record can be reduced to a 30-second clip). EP and a couple of blistering live shows worked in the band’s favor, but the comically awful Rehearsing My Choir was an undeniable counterbalance to any possible good that had come forth from the Friedbergers.

So, what has come to pass that has brought me to see the light? Well, you can begin with Bitter Tea in general. The Furnaces’ forthcoming fourth album is not only their best to date, but, along with Destroyer’s Rubies and Fox Confessor Brings the Flood, an earlier front-runner for Best of 2006. Much as I never thought I’d say that, there’s something about this album that’s just so addictive, irresistibly weird, and brilliant that I’ve become one of those people throwing the record on repeat and trying to figure out all the little facets and angles. The whole record is meant to be, and indeed is, much poppier than any of the band’s previous material, though it is still the Fiery Furnaces at work. Matt Friedberger’s warped take on pop music is exactly what’s needed after a year of well-crafted, hook-heavy pop (New Pornographers, Magic Numbers, et al). That, of course, is not fodder for a song review, but helps to explain just why I still love “Benton Harbor Blues” after two or three dozen listens.

First off, Matt has stepped up his game. Instead of the standard goofy sounding keyboards and occasional instrumental shift, he’s seems to be really thinking out the song now and putting a lot of love into it. He plays to the strengths of pop music, letting the keyboards define the chorus and Eleanor shine on the vocals (I maintain that she’s never sounded this good, though it helps that her delivery suits the melancholy of the song perfectly). Matt shows his hand from the start, playing out his loops and then melding them together once we hit the first verse, making it clear that he knows what he’s doing while never show-boating. He plays more to complement Eleanor’s vocals than he seems to have in the past, and the effect is lovely. Sure, there are still parts where he’s eager to fool around, but then again it wouldn’t really be the Furnaces without that. More and more I’m starting to think that maybe the Fiery Furnaces are exactly what pop music needs.