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A Fine Frenzy - Bomb in a Birdcage
| Slantmagazine |
| Notwithstanding what it might sound like, A Fine Frenzy isn't the title of some post-punk Brit band festooned in Hot Topic pinstripes. It is, rather, the pseudonym of Seattle-born indie popstress Alison Sudol, whose sophomore album, Bomb in a Birdcage, successfully bucks a disturbing trend: the emergence of pop princesses who aim to disguise unoriginal ideas and tedious poetry with forced quirkiness. Instead, the album, like Sudol's 2007 debut, One Cell in the Sea, is smartly sweet, its crisp edges and flickering melodies intricate and impulsive rather than formulaic. Sudol remains an ever-engaging dinner guest, spinning her free, easy tales of triumph and heartache while rarely stumbling into the tic-heavy gimmickry of Regina Spektor and other like mavens. Even the album's forays into the world of pap—the escalating bubbliness of "Electric Twist," for example, and the syrup-drenched "Happier" and "World Without"—are surprisingly bearable, with Sudol proving savvy enough to flirt with her audience's tolerance levels without becoming overwhelming. Beguiling schmaltz, thinking man's pop, brainy bubblegum—whatever the label or qualifier, Sudol's ability to deliver it with dependable grace makes Birdcage a rewarding, if still slightly guilty, pleasure....full text |
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| Starpulse |
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On September 8, 2009, A Fine Frenzy—led by Alison Sudol—will release Bomb in a Birdcage on Virgin Records, the follow-up to 2007’s critically acclaimed One Cell in the Sea. While the debut established Sudol as one of the most talented young singers and songwriters around, the new album reveals another side of A Fine Frenzy. "I think some people may be surprised," says 24-year-old Sudol. "They think that I’m all fragile and ethereal, but I have a wild side, too. I’m a quiet person with a loud streak, and this record is a testament to that." One Cell reached Number One on Billboard’s "Heatseeker" charts, and A Fine Frenzy was chosen as a VH1 "You Oughta Know" artist. The album received rave reviews in publications from Entertainment Weekly to Paste to People. Songs from the album were licensed to numerous television shows, and Sudol appeared on The Tonight Show, The CBS Early Show and The Late Show with David Letterman. The young redheaded singer made her acting debut on CSI New York and turned up in fashion spreads, but she received even more attention for her literary interests, including a band name taken from Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream....full text |
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| Indianapolis |
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first album as A Fine Frenzy, was a pretty effort that too easily slipped into Starbucks-appropriate background music, undeserving of closer attention. The 24-year-old claims her follow-up reveals a “wild side,” though, so maybe take two will be more striking. The verdict: Here’s to second chances. This is a gorgeous, captivating pop surprise full of lush instrumentation, Sudol’s seductive pipes and melodies that make you welcome the approaching chill in the air. The disc continually takes the boredom out of “Grey’s Anatomy”–approved music, from upbeat first single “Blow Away” to the sweetly simple “Happier.” “Elements” and “Stood Up” have tension that Sudol could have used on her first record, though the fluttering “Bird of the Summer” is a little too cute. While “Birdcage” is sure to support plenty of prime-time TV, this time the background becomes the foreground, and any drama on screen will have to compete with the drama being sung over it. Watch your back, Feist....full text |
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