Lyrical Sequence: The Love Songs by A Fine Frenzy in "One Cell in the Sea"

When I first listened to our wildcard assignment for this week, many artists and albums came to mind. The album that choose to focus on is “One Cell in the Sea” by A Fine Frenzy (AFF). AFF is composed of only one female singer, Alison Sudol. Most of her songs focus on the lost of love and how it feels when it is gone. She also writes about relationships and the journey many can take only to end, similar to many of our readings for this week. Also similar to our readings this week, her songs give you a feeling as if she is singing to some in particular. AFF’s lyrics are very emotional and strong. Itunes describes Sudol’s lyrics as “dreamily evocative wordplay”. Although all her songs have sonnet-like lyrical sequences, I decided to discuss three of her more powerful and thought provoking songs, “Almost Lover,” “Ashes and Wine,” and “Last of Days”.

“Almost Lover” is the album’s most popular song. Sudol writes about the man who was “almost” her lover. She says goodbye to him in this slow tempo song. Sudol explains the reasons why she feel for this man and explains how is trying to deal with her loss. She puts the blame on her stating:

“I should've known you'd bring me heartache,

Almost lovers always do”.

The lyrics in this poem are similar to the sonnets we read this week because she examining why she had these feelings and explains how it feels when those feelings are no longer returned. The refrain is the most emotional part of the song and is repeated through the song:

“I never want to see you unhappy

I thought you'd want the same for me

Goodbye, my almost lover

Goodbye, my hopeless dream

I'm trying not to think about you

Can't you just let me be?

So long, my luckless romance

My back is turned on you

I should've known you'd bring me heartache,

Almost lovers always do”

The album continues with “Ashes and Wine” in which Sudol is also mourning the loss of a relationship. This time she is contemplating if there is anything she can do to bring the relationship back to life. There is a very hopeless feel to the song from the beginning when she states:

“Don't know what to do anymore

I've lost the only love worth fighting for”

She continues on to ask her lover if there is anything she can do to get them back in the refrain:

“Is there a chance?

A fragment of light at the end of the tunnel?

A reason to fight?

Is there a chance you may change your mind?

Or are we ashes and wine?”

This song is filled with emotion and desperation trying to get back her lover.

The last song I want to focus on from “One Cell in the Sea” is “Last of Days”. The lyrics of this song show Sudol’s feelings about how she is handling the loss of a love. She explains that:

“The world carries on without you

But nothing remains the same

I'll be lost without you

Until the last of days

Until the last of days”

Not only did this song remind me of the readings from this week, but it also reminded me of the readings from last week, specifically The Wife’s Lament, in which the wife describes how her life cannot on the same without her husband.

Overall, many of AFF’s songs have sonnet like lyrics and themes within them. If you have not ever listened to AFF and you enjoy female vocalists, I highly suggest the artist and the album.