Send "Eleanor Friedberger " Ringtones to your Cell 
| Pitchfork |
 The Fiery Furnaces' 2003 debut album, Gallowsbird's Bark, introduced a band that was utterly, irresistibly restless, from its frequent stylistic and tempo shifts to the ceaselessly discursive patter of frontwoman Eleanor Friedberger. This M.O. of ambitious itchiness was one Eleanor and her brother Matthew would only intensify with albums to come, including the sprawling landmark Blueberry Boat, the conceptually brave family affair Rehearsing My Choir, and the Frankensteinian live document Remember.But a funny thing happened with the female Friedberger on the Furnaces' manifold zigzagging journeys from point A to point Z. Instead of just yelping or intoning strings of verbiage, Eleanor started to inform her delivery with nuance, irony, and wisdom. By 2007's terrific Widow City, the precocious hepcat of the group's early efforts was achieving real pathos on songs like "My Egyptian Grammar". The maturation deepened with 2009's I'm Going Away, which found Friedberger not only displaying increased subtlety as a singer but also taking a greater hand in crafting lyrics and melodies. Perhaps unsurprisingly, it was the Furnaces' most polished and measured work to date. Friedberger's debut solo album thoroughly carries over this relatively nascent understanding of her as an artist who can deliver sturdily professional, affecting pop. In fact, Last Summer practically makes I'm Going Away sound like one of the Furnaces' more madcap offerings by comparison. Simple but lovely piano melodies and richly mellow bass shepherd most of the tracks here, though Friedberger has paid lots of attention to filling the album's ample breathing spaces with guitar fills and percussive coloring. The warmly recorded, light-treading effort feels like a throwback to idiosyncratic but solidly crafted albums made in the 1970s by piano-driven popsmiths like Harry Nilsson, Todd Rundgren, and Joni Mitchell....full text |
| Consequenceofsound |
| An artist taking time away from his or her band to release a solo debut can lead to an album of deeper introspection, ideally an album where listeners feel the artist is speaking directly to them, thoughts pouring forth seamlessly from track to track. Eleanor Friedberger, known for her work in the brother-sister duo The Fiery Furnaces, has released such a solo album. Last Summer plays as a series of glimpses into Friedberger’s past summer in New York City. Teeming with nostalgia, Friedberger is inviting listeners on a dreamy journey to her past. Combining the experimental pop of The Fiery Furnaces with Friedberger’s soaring vocals, Last Summer is an enchanting, intimate look into a season in the city. Album highlight “Roosevelt Island” begins with groovy keyboards and Friedberger’s up-tempo vocals before leading into cascading guitars and a swooping chorus echoing among the instruments. “My Mistakes” makes use of the same Fiery Furnaces-esque, trial-and-error keyboards and contagious lyrics. “I Won’t Fall Apart on You Tonight” follows an infectious music-making path, with oohs and aaahs backed by fuzzy guitars, Friedberger creating truly charming pop. Last Summer also finds Friedberger exploring a fragile, more haunting sound than her work with her brother. Losing the testy bloops of The Fiery Furnaces, Friedberger is able to showcase a rawer form of music-making. In “Scenes from Bensonhurst”, whispery vocals are tucked amongst eerie keys and romantic guitar. “One-Month Marathon” is delicate, with cautious percussion that gives way to a burst of spooky, swaying acoustics....full text |
| Spin |
| The solo debut from the Fiery Furnaces' singer is a beguiling and byzantine New York-centric travelogue: "Owl's Head Park" uses an airy sax to portray a lost day in Coney Island, while the gurgling keyboards and swan-dive strings on "Roosevelt Island" sound like an outtake from Fleetwood Mac's Tango in the Night (a good thing, BTW). There are expected blips of Fiery playfulness -- pinballing "bop bop" vocals, backward-masked beats -- but this is as straightforwardly evocative as abstract pop gets, with the hazy beauty and fractured narratives of a vintage Polaroid slide show....full text |
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