ENTERTAINMENT
 
 

‘Frances the Mute’: music that should not fall on deaf ears

By Moses Whitaker
mwhit13@highlands.edu
Staff Writer

“Frances the Mute” by The Mars Volta might be the single most important rock album of 2005.

Most of the current rock bands that are getting any attention this year are retro new wave bands. While it is said that imitation is flattery, there is a certain point where it becomes ridiculous. Anyone can imitate another band and make a hell of a lot of money doing so.

This is where legitimacy comes into play. The Mars Volta is a mix of progressive rock and science fiction storytelling. Though those are the listed genres to fit the band into, it is really difficult to categorize this music.

The album is listed as 12 tracks, although it is actually only five tracks long and clocks in at around 76 minutes. The opening track for “Frances the Mute” is a trip. It starts with an acoustic melody playing while Cedric Bixler Zavala sings the enchanting opening lines to the album.

After the opening, the song breaks into a hard rock melody with a funk induced bass. The mixture is very satisfying.

One aspect of this album is that it has very high replay value.

However, there is little to no instant appeal whatsoever. Normally this would be a problem, but the lack of instant appeal is the reason it does not become repetitive.

The only album that compares to this one is “Kid A” by Radiohead. The relevance is in that both albums are very bizarre and unwelcoming.

The prize piece of “Frances the Mute” is the closing track, which is called “Cassandra Gemini.” It is 35 minutes long and is broken into seven movements. It starts off very fast paced and discombobulating at first.

However, in the structure that is actually going on behind the chaos, there is much enjoyment to be found. The song proceeds to break into different movements, each one becoming more frantic than the last. This causes it to become more climatic towards the end before it explodes back into the opening chorus.

This album is off the deep end, and really does not sound like any other band.

When listening to an album that takes patience and effort to enjoy, the results are many times more satisfying.

The importance of this album is that it is not openly structured or predictable.

When people listen to a band they expect to hear a certain sound, just as when buying clothes from a certain brand, they expect familiarity.

“Frances the Mute” shows familiarity has no place in progress when it comes to music.