Rehearsing My Choir
by The Fiery Furnaces
User Score
7.9

Generally favorable reviews- based on 131 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 105 out of 131
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 131
  3. Negative: 22 out of 131

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  1. Gnarles
    Oct 28, 2005
    5
    I'm a huge Fiery Furnaces fan, and Blueberry Boat was my favorite album of 2004, but sadly I am going to have to side with the critics on this one. After the first two tracks, which are admittedly brilliant, it begins to tire rapidly. I think the major problem is the music, which is often too baroque and tuneless and doesn't really fit Olga's vocals a lot of the time. I'm a huge Fiery Furnaces fan, and Blueberry Boat was my favorite album of 2004, but sadly I am going to have to side with the critics on this one. After the first two tracks, which are admittedly brilliant, it begins to tire rapidly. I think the major problem is the music, which is often too baroque and tuneless and doesn't really fit Olga's vocals a lot of the time. Sarantos is a terrific narrator and I warmed to her voice almost immediately. Unlike many people who hear this record, my beef is not with Olga - it's with her grandchildren. The music cries out for a more subtle, focused approach to stay in line with Olga's musings, but it just isn't there, and the result is often cacophony. It's just hard to get through this monster - twice as hard than it is to get through Blueberry Boat, at least to me. As challenging as Blueberry Boat was, most of the challenge was with sorting out the time changes and tone shifts, whereas here it's trying to sort out the tortuous sonic dissonce of Olga's narratives verses the spotty music. A pretty Sisyphean effort if you ask me. Rehearsing My Choir creates an interesting paradox for me - I admire them more than ever for putting this out at all, for hanging so much of themselves out there for possible ridicule like this, but at the same time, I think the album has to be ruled a failure for its execution. Olga Sarantos' interesting life and charismatic narratives deserve better than these mish-mash tunes. Maybe the upcoming Bitter Tea will make me appreciate Rehearsing My Choir more, but I have a feeling it'll make me - and the rest of you - forget about it altogether.… Expand
  2. GlennD
    Jan 11, 2006
    5
    It's all great fun, especially very funny on first listen, but musically it can be pretty trying. It just doesn't leave a lasting impression.
  3. Nicks
    Oct 31, 2005
    6
    I agree almost completely with Gnarles. I think it is a failed experiment, but at the same time I am weirdly affected by it. I actually really like Olga's narration, but I wish the Friedbergers had given this album a greater sense of musical coherency. I'm glad that they have put it out, but it's not something that I could see myself listening to regularly. I think I agree almost completely with Gnarles. I think it is a failed experiment, but at the same time I am weirdly affected by it. I actually really like Olga's narration, but I wish the Friedbergers had given this album a greater sense of musical coherency. I'm glad that they have put it out, but it's not something that I could see myself listening to regularly. I think Pitchfork's assertion that "As a think piece, Rehearsing My Choir is enormously engaging, but as a pop record, it's exhausting and fruitless," is correct. RMC will probably remain, in my mind, an interesting, complex, sometimes moving, yet seriously flawed experiment.… Expand

Awards & Rankings

52
#52 Most Discussed Album of 2005

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
63

Generally favorable reviews - based on 25 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 13 out of 25
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 25
  3. Negative: 5 out of 25
  1. Pitchfork
    40
    As a think piece, Rehearsing My Choir is enormously engaging, but as a pop record, it's exhausting and fruitless.
    Read full review
  2. Tiny Mix Tapes
    100
    The Fiery Furnaces have delivered another great American novel via guitars, drums, bells, and whistles.
    Read full review
  3. Billboard
    50
    Think of a visit to Nana's house reimagined as alt-Broadway musical theater. [29 Oct 2005]
See all critic reviews »