Last Summer, this summer

I've been a longtime fan of The Fiery Furnaces, through their their more listeningly challenging output and the three songs that aren't. Just kidding. You'll find their music way back in the first year of this blog, as well as a concert review that was a mixed bag. All that being said, my curiosity was piqued when I found out that Eleanor Friedberger, one half of the brother/sister duo that comprises the core of The Fiery Furnaces, was putting out a solo album. Sure, the two did sort of do their own things (together) on the digital only Take Me Round Again, but I was interested in hearing what Eleanor would do on her own album.

Well, it came out today, but I've had a chance to give it some listening over the last week or so. I'll say that I've been auditorily enjoying it for its relative straightforwardness...that is compared to some of her Furnaces' work that makes one work to experience it. It still wears that Friedberger touch proudly with its vast array or instrumentation that produces an equally wide range of sounds, but its discordant moments flow by a little more smoothly, I guess much like the last Furnaces' album.

In fact, I'm looking forward to seeing Eleanor play on Thursday with less trepidation than I would have predicted after seeing them the first time around. She's got something of a mini-tour planned over the course of this month, dates can be found below. Check out the opening number, My Mistakes, from her new album, Last Summer, below.

Eleanor Friedberger - My Mistakes : Last Summer

The Fiery Furnaces - Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown) : This Bird Has Flown: A 40th Anniversary Tribute to The Beatles' Rubber Soul

Visit her website and her label Merge Records.

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Upcoming tour dates

Thu, Jul 14, Cambridge, MA @ Lizard Lounge
Sat, Jul 16, New York, NY @ South Street Seaport - The Village Voice / 4knots Festival
Tue, Jul 19, Toronto, ON @ Horseshoe Tavern
Wed, Jul 20, Chicago IL @ The Hideout
Sat, Jul 23, Portland, OR @ Neumo's Crystal Ball - Capitol Hill Block Party
Sun, Jul 24,Seattle, WA @ Doug Fir Lounge
Tue, Jul 26, San Francisco, CA @ Hotel Utah Saloon
Wed, Jul 27, Los Angeles, CA @ The Satellite