I've noticed a few things in recent years: that there are a lot of emo albums that people consider to be absolutely classic, essential albums; that different people often have entirely different sets of albums that have such accolades; and finally that if you didn't hear those albums at the right point in your life, you can't understand why people hold them in such high regard.
I love Texas is the Reason and Miracle of 86, but I've played those albums to people who should, in theory, also love them and watched them be thoroughly underwhelmed. Frame & Canvas is a perfect example of this in the other direction.
In 2013, Banquet announced that Braid were going to Frame & Canvas in Kingston, and people got extremely excited. A lot of these people were ones whose opinions I hold in high regard, so I thought I should get tickets and see what all the fuss was about. A few weeks before the show, I picked up this copy of the album, so I'd at least have a reasonable idea of the songs. I enjoyed the album, and had fun at the show, but definitely never felt I really got why everyone was so excited. I watched them again at Fest that year and still wasn't really that into it. Eventually I had the series of observations in the first paragraph and concluded it was a time-and-place thing, and I was in neither when I heard Braid.
All that sounds a bit negative. Frame & Canvas is a perfectly fine record. In fact, it's quite enjoyable in places, but I don't consider it essential in the slightest. They hit up a lot of things I enjoy - layered vocals, odd shouts, generally interesting music. They're not so big on memorable choruses, which doesn't help crack into the album. Consolation Prizefighter is pretty good, but it's late in the album to finally have such a thought. I've probably just not given it all enough time, but it's had a good number of plays over the years and after a while you just have to accept that sometimes you're not going to get an album. I've decided Frame & Canvas is one such album. Ask me again in another six years and maybe I'll have finally got it.
Format: 12", insert
Tracks: 12
Cost: £15 new
Bought: Banquet Records
When: 18/07/13
Colour: Black
Etching: none
mp3s: Download code
