Music Review: Flags

22nd November 2010 by Claire Twivey

Well the day has come – what we've all been waiting for. That's right the release of the third studio album from Brooke Fraser is finally here. Having such a high standard already set, I was counting down the months / weeks / day / hours until I could get my hands on a copy.

Just as anticipated, Flags is another amazing work that follows the pattern set by her first releases (What To Do With Daylight and Albertine) while evolving her music in new directions. Every track on her album tells a story and paints a picture. Fraser's lyrics are beautifully crafted and clever – using characters and strong settings to communicate her ideas. Fraser's explanation about her ideas in her first self-produced album is quite interesting – check out the videos about her concepts at www.brookefraser.com.

After finishing her last album, Albertine, Fraser says, "I was so exhausted, I could barely get out of bed, let alone think about writing songs for a third album," – just as well she did! All the sweat and tears behind Flags has paid off with the album reaching #1 on both the Australia and New Zealand iTunes charts on the first day of its release.

My favourite songs on the album would have to be "Betty" (co-written with Switchfoot's Jon Foreman and Ben West from the band, The Real Efforts of Real People), a cute little song about a cool, unapproachable girl who hides her Canadian-shaped birthmark — a metaphor for all the other things she is hiding from people, and "Who are we fooling?" a beautiful duet with Aqualung's Matt Hales, co-written by the two. Also worth repeated plays are the first single off the album "Something in the Water" and the title track "Flags" – a thought-provoking song about injustice.

Flags is a stunning effort from start to finish, once again proving Brooke Fraser's versatility as a writer and musician, and it's a worthy addition to an already impressive career. The songs are beautifully crafted, meaningful, and reveal something new every time you listen. I'm sure you'll love it just as much as I have.

This album will prove to be a great resource for outreach in your church as the songs are relatable. I believe that in sharing these songs and using them in your ministry – you will be encouraging people to share their stories. Once people share their stories – you can share your story and most importantly, the story about our Saviour, Jesus Christ. That's our mission as The Salvation Army – to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ.

When asked what words she would use to describe the album, Fraser said, "It's like you're running through a forest, then walking through a river, and you're rolling through a field and you're jumping on a trampoline into a bowl of caramel."

Sounds pretty sweet to me!

By Claire Twivey

Comments

Maddy Allen

April 10, 2011 at 8:34pm

As much as i loooove Brooke Fraser and her new (well now its probs old) album, i have noticed something. Flags doesn't have as big a christian influence as her other albums have had. Too be honest i have never heard one of Brooke's old songs on the radio or tv or anything but i have heard so many of her new ones.

Strong christian focus= not on radio.
Not as strong christian focus= all over the radio and tv and everything.

Could this mean something? If so, what?

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