Eleanor Friedberger Is The Latest In A Short Line Of Great Band Members-Turned-Better Solo Artists

The list of artists whose solo material is dramatically better than their songs with the band that made them famous is remarkably short. Van Morrison and Wilson Pickett immediately come to mind, but, for instance, Lou Reed released some great albums. No one, however, would argue that The Blue Mask is superior to White Light/White Heat. Same goes with Michael Jackson and the Jackson 5 (I will FIGHT you if you say “The Girl Is Mine” is superior to “I’ll Be There”). The list is slightly longer now, though, with the release of Personal Record, Eleanor Friedberger’s second post-Fiery Furnaces album. It also happens to be her second great post-Fiery Furnaces album.

With a very literal album title. “I am the past and you cannot ignore me/You have no idea what happened before me,” Friedberger singers on “I Am the Past,” with that sly, droll voice of hers. But what makes the accessibly idiosyncratic Personal so winning is the way it dips into 1970s-era sunny AM pop while simultaneously sounding very much like an album released in 2013, with its warm self-awareness and bright, yet crackling production.

Basically, it’s very good and you should check it out, preferably while basking in sunlight in a park, but until then, here’s an acoustic performance of “My Own World” from a set Friedberger performed for Time. Also very good.

(Via)

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