Eleanor Friedberger: “My Mistakes”
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Eleanor Friedberger is primarily known as the singer for the oddball pop duo the Fiery Furnaces, but that may soon change. On her new solo debut, Friedberger exhibits some of the best songs of her career with a straightforward sensibility.
Friedberger first gained notice with her brother Matthew when the two released EP in 2005, the Fiery Furnaces’ well-received third album. The band’s appeal stemmed from its gleeful love of making weird music. Eleanor put her obtuse lyrics and creaky voice on top of Matthew’s scattershot drumming and keyboard experiments, resulting in songs that, despite their strange melodies, are catchy and well-composed in their own right.
Following the release of their ninth album in 2009, the siblings decided to put the Furnaces on the back burner to pursue their own solo careers. Last summer, Eleanor recorded a collection of songs appropriately titled Last Summer, which saw its release a few weeks back. It’s an album that shows off her songwriting side to great effect. Her distinctive voice is front-and-center with lyrics that are more personal than on past Fiery Furnaces releases. Songs like “My Mistakes” still boast twisting melodies and a wide range of keyboard sounds, but Friedberger holds it all together with an easygoing charm that’s refreshing to hear.
Today’s song of the day is “My Mistakes,” by Eleanor Friedberger.
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I really appreciate Last Summer far more than anything the Fiery Furnaces have put out thus far. I was surprised to find this solo effort quite remarkable. From her interviews, I admit I have developed a crush on Eleanor, ouch.