The Fray - Musical Style and Songwriting

Musical Style and Songwriting

How to Save a Life consisted of a mix of mid-tempo piano-driven pop rock tracks and power ballads. The band's second album spread the spectrum of the music: the pop rock songs were faster and more energetic, while the ballads were softer than the ballads on the first album.

Lead vocalist and pianist Isaac Slade's vocals feature falsetto and a strong American accent. His vocal style on the debut album was marked by a simple and emotive style. On the second album, his vocals, while retaining the basic style on the debut album, were stronger, edgier and more aggressive, most notably on the tracks "We Build Then We Break" and "Say When".

The lyrics on both albums revolve around life's problems and issues. Common themes include happiness, sadness, death, the problem of evil, relationships, and war. The honest and emotional nature of the lyrics has also had critics labeling The Fray as emo, comparing them to mainstream emo acts like Jimmy Eat World. The Fray's initial songs contained lyrics with strong religious messages. However, by the time they began work on their debut album, the band decided against being an entirely religious outfit because they believe that God has called them away from the "Christian music genre and into a secular market."

The Fray's music is similar to: Mat Kearney, Augustana, The Goo Goo Dolls, Dashboard Confessional, and Lifehouse.