The Fiery Furnaces - 'Remember' (Thrill Jockey) Released 08/09/08

The Fiery Furnaces hail from Brooklyn, New York and are made of Brother and Sister duo Matthew and Eleanor Friedberger and hot of the heels of their 2007 critically acclaimed album Widow City, the band have decided to release a live album. Not just any live album but one that collects songs from their entire back catalogue and performances across the world from 2005-2007. The Fiery Furnaces wanted the album to capture the energy of their live shows as well as compliment Eleanor’s powerful vocal performance and Matt’s musicianship, which defines each individual performance.

'Remember' features 51 tracks which are reconstructed and re-arranged from their original recorded versions. This is done through altering the arrangements and instrumentation as well as increasing the tempo in places too. The aim was to bring their music to a broader audience and show them what the band is about, bringing the beauty of live performance and not only that the best they have done.
 
Tracks such as 'Tropical Iceland' gives you the impression that its based on punk or disco however its is so far removed from its original arrangement of keys-based art-pop. It also allows them to liven up songs that on record seem a bit dull and dated, for example 'Whistle Rhapsody' is more atmospheric allowing them to steer away from the original Beatles-esque intro, replacing it with organs and gothic sounding chords. Eleanor vocals sound as strong and as exhilarating live as on record, however Matt’s vocal is shy and fits nicely in the background, which is no criticism as it blends so well with his sisters stunning range. The band clearly enjoy the element of surprise and on older songs such as 'Crystal Clear' the performance is raced through as their anticipation heightens to deliver newer pieces to there captivated audience.
 
The band are renowned for their rapid-shifting tempo which allowed them to be compared to the likes of the White Stripes, its almost become a signature for them. The performances are tight throughout each show, allowing you to appreciate that the band work hard together to achieve this, which is apparent on 'Chief Inspector Blancheflower'. The track is fuelled with rocking and punk guitars with a shift to keyboards allowing the vocals to be apparent as an element of contrast.

The 51 tracks on 'Remember' shows the bands flawless side and the 2 hours it spans over seems to pass in seconds as varying songs from disco chic to graceful ballads, allowing the melodies to flow through each track. It is apparent that Fiery Furnaces are less about the individual track and more about the unity of performance or giving in an album. This album is a perfect way of discovering them for the first time or reliving performances.