The Fiery furnaces! Suck! Awful nonsense! The critics are wrong! This album is even worse than they say!

i'm not saying that you have to like this album, but to discard it just because you don't get it is a foolish move--there is so much to get out of it. i love it, and to say it is unlistenable, at least to me, is a questionable take as well. this is one of the most engaging and listenable albums i've ever heard.

This is quite simply the best album of the year. Sure, it's a tad off-putting at first, but the Furnaces have always followed their muse, even into strange territory. But once you get past the initial strangeness of the music, you will be rewarded with one of the most complex and beautiful albums you've ever heard.

My girlfriend went to their show at Town Hall right before this album came out and they tested some of this crap on the audience that night. It made her squirm in her seat. The Fiery Furnaces are just whack overall. They make nursery rhyme indie music for sheltered white kids in arrested development. I call them "The Seasame Streets". Would somebody please shove a pacifier in their mouths?

More than patience it requires repeated listening. Leave it on in the background a few times and I defy you not to find parts that are catchy, funny, artful, and occasionally really gorgeous. The final song, "Does It Remind You of When," is a true culmination of the lessons--both from the stories and the music--in tracks 1-10, and it might be the most heartbreaking song I've heard all year. (To be a culmination requires a context, so it won't do any good to download the song by itself.) For me, art this nuanced and cathartic is often limited to literature, but the Fiery Furnaces gave it to us in the shape of an album. Don't listen to all the nay-saying reviews. This album is difficult but it needs a champion. This album deserves to have people list all the great things about it so you'll hear them, too. Now can we get to it?… Expand

mad record - really mad. Think I'll need a few weeks to be able to say anything coherent about it.

i can't believe pfm with their review. don't listen to these reviews, this album is utterly amazing. don't let them decide for you, listen to it for yourself, if you skip this album, your going to be missing out on the entire world.

Pitchfork is right about "Rehearsing My Choir" being exhausting, but to call this record "fruitless" is absolutely ridiculous. If you like music served to you on a silver plate, stay far, FAR away from "Rehearsing My Choir," but if you're looking for a record with rewards comparable to the great challenge they put forth, it will change your life.

Sad that this incredibly ambitious and brilliant record now has a metascore lower than Jason Mraz and 311. Screw you, Cokemachineglow.

As music, it's horrible. As theater, it's dull. The Furnaces have finally lost it. A simply awful album. Don't let anyone fool you. These good reviews are just trying to hide the fact that this band has finally released a truly monumental piece of s*** for a record. Hopefully this is just a blip in an otherwise fascinating body of work. Unfortunately, it's gonna be a HUGE blip.… Expand

Few artists can be credited with changing the definition of "Music." The Fiery Furnaces have, and they've done it beautifully.

Sh*t sandwich.

astonishing. "you mean two jerks" is the funniest line, too.

What's startling to me is how listenable this album really is. ignore the sour grapes and go for it.

this album makes me hope in music

It sucks.

Unlistenable. I gave them the benefit of the doubt with Blueberry Boat because although i wasn't crazy about it, I had to give them some points for their original and innovative sound. Not this time. Grandma making screeching sex noises would have more listenable than her vocals here. Yea sure it's an original idea but so is masturbating and then setting your penis on fire. Which actually would probably be more pleasant than having to listen to this album again, come to think of it. Now for all you fans out there, don't think I didn't give this album a chance. I've listened to it probably at least 7 or 8 times over the past few days, and it was torture. I'm huge into forward-thinking, creative, sometimes eclectic indie-rock, but the Fiery Furnaces are just plain dumb. One point for some decent piano lines and few clever lyrics.… Expand

This is awful, just awful.

Rehearsing My Choir is not a pop album. Fans of the recent wave of indie-pop, including many casual FF fans, will be very frustrated listening to this. But the Friedburgers know what they're doing, and are doing it better than anyone out there right now. The torrent of bad reviews from the music critics seem to reflect a confusion about the execution of this project; what it's suppose to mean, etc... but in the end there's really nothing to "get". RMC should be thought of as a very large, colorful, convoluted mural, to be appreciated as a whole, and overanalyzing it is missing the point. The storied soundscape of this album is unique and brilliant, reminiscent of some of the best work of The Residents. FF have solidified their place as true artists with this one - but don't worry, if you're a fan and can't handle it, you can rest easy. Bitter Tea will be hear before you know it.… Expand

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

The key to "Rehearsing my Choir" is not to approach the album expecting some dancable, friendly indie-pop music. This album is difficult, but considering the Furnaces' catalogue is it that surprising that they've dropped a heady, Joycean, operatic opus on us?

"Rehearsing my Choir" will be debated by every overextended struggling writer and indie-slob-know-it-all who think they have a stake in the "fruitful landscape" of the contemporary indie scene. The fact of the matter is that this album is beyond any such debate. In fact, it is beyond the indie scene and with that, music in general. "Rehearsing my Choir" is more of a testament to life,: with all of its drama and anti-climactic twists. For those who make the argument that it could have been done better or been less prententious, I remind you of two points, First, that is almost word for word what many grim-faced critics said about "Blueberry Boat", perhaps one of the greatest achievements any band has ever released. Second, I need only reference one word "Tommy" - the penultimate benchmark of ambitious, borderline "pretentious", rock operas, also one of the greatest albums ever released. "Rehearsing My Choir" might as well be a historical document written by an alzheimers patient with a great imagination. The twists and unexpected tone variances require the full attention of the listener in the same way a stage performance does. The Freidbergers are able to mix experimentation with sentimentality, avant-garde with nostalgia, expectation and desire. "Rehearsing My Choir" is a masterfully constructed album that should be seen for what it is, not the an exposition of musical literacy, but rather an expression of philosophical concern with life and the way in which memory constructs the past, not the other way around.… Expand

A unique album, worked out better than i expected it to be but overall their least best record.

I was ready to hate this album - it sounds like a horrible concept. But I love it. I have no idea why it has been called 'horrific' 'a disaster' 'exhausting and fruitless' and so on by so many critics. It just isn't. There is so much to like here. Olga's rough voice contrasts wonderfully with Eleanor's sweat tones, and their exchanges are used well in conveying a story (the best example being 'The Wayward Granddaughter'). The lyrics are often extremely rewarding - 'Seven Silver Curses' is an excellent example, as is 'Guns Under The Counter', which is brilliantly surreal. The music is admittedly difficult, but not unrewarding. I especially enjoy the sudden transitions - they often catch you by surprise, which I find incredibly compelling as you're never entirely sure where the song will go next. On the whole this is a very rewarding album.… Expand

i bought this record after reading an article in the times and i have to say that it's really remarkable. i haven't heard anything like it. it's not the easiest thing to listen to--it's not jingle pop--but it's rich and is way easier than some reviews lead you to think. it's an album you can actually JUST listen to, sitting, absorbing, rather than websurfing or chatting with it in the background. it clamors for your full attention. and deserves it.… Expand

Strangely haunting and very off-limits as far as pop music is concerned. I like.

it gets a 10 for ingenuity and a 6 for listenability but then again this music is not meant to really enjoy but more so to study and yes there is a place in music for study despite all the people who just like music for dancing.

Critics hated it for not being a pop record; a record they wanted. But it's not supposed to be, you idiots! Who would ever do a pop record with their 83 year-old grandmother?? Nobody has, and nither have the Furnaces. This album is more of a radio show, a theatrically-whimsy and changing-as-is-life collection of sounds that tell the story of Olga Sarantos, the Furnaces' grandma. It's brilliant and if you don't like it not because you don't like Furnaces' style, but because it's too "out there" or "too far", then you're missing out.… Expand

Insanely bad. 0s were made for this sort of thing.

Like no other record this year, this album makes it stunningly clear just how dull, uncreative, and safe 'avant garde' music has become. Screw the emotionally vacuous noise acts, down with dance-punk, this is a brave and difficult paradigm shift from indie pop's most vital band.

It's ridiculous to review this record in the context of other albums, let alone their own other albums, because they're not trying to do what they tried to do on Blueberry Boat or Gallowsbird Bark. If you're giving this a bad review because you think "the grandma's voice is annoying", then you're lazy and an idiot.

The Fiery Furnaces suck big time! Next comes an album full of farts! Avant garde, ladies and gentlemen!

i love this. no genre exists for it, yet.

oooh, matt is dreamy and nuts and genius.

People need to stop trying to listen to this like a rock album. It's like a radio play or music theater piece - in the tradition of Harry Partch's "Bitter Music" or Shelley Hirsch's "O Little Town of East New York". Go listen to those albums first and then come back and listen to this one. Then you might appreciate how well it succeeds, both as narrative and as music.

love this, can the furnaces be my friends?

brilliant.

i really think this record is invaluable experience for anyone who cares about music. it's out there, but in the best, boldest, blaringest way.

Another challenginhg and rewarding album from the Fiery Furnaces. Unlike most anything you have heard before. If you go in expecting 'songs' or 'traditional-style lyrics' you're bound to be disappointed, but if you're tuned in to the Furnaces particular creative wavelength then you're in for a treat. There is nothing else like this out right now and we should be thankful that they're following their muse instead of marching lockstep to anyones idea of what a band, an album, or a song should be. "Rehearsing My Choir" is an album that demands and rewards close attention, and as another great song put it, "It's not what you expected, but it could be right."… Expand

Although I'd concede that this is more an oral history or musical theater project than a pop record, I find it absolutely fascinating. In a sense, the pitchfork review is right to read it in terms of a cultural analysis, but it's also a lot of fun. The bit about the donut maker / doctor is great, as are countless other moments. And there is some music here as well.

An endlessly rewarding album.

Enough of this artsy-fartsy stuff. Let's write some hits, kids.

Almost unlistenable

Slavin' Away is one of the best songs they've ever done, and so is Garfield El, but unlike Blueberry Boat, each song lacks it's own energy that makes it great while simultaneously being unique. Most of the songs just "are".

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.

You can download this album from amazon by streaming in advance. I like it quite a bit, although not as good as their previous efforts I think the critics are giving it a hard time cause it's over the top. They are overthinking an album that just takes regular stories and makes them magical. Worth a listen.

This album is total genius. Who would think to make something like this? Only The Fiery Furnaces. Amazing. If you have any music taste at all, you will know this is gold.

Not only is this the worst album of the year, but it's the worst of the decade!! Why? Because I like the Fiery Furnaces. Up to their latest, they have released one fascinating and adventurous album after another. Blueberry Boat was one of the best records of last year. But 'Rehearsing My Choir' is just too far out. The idea of revisiting their grandmother's life on record is charming in print, but on record the result is murky. The music is unbelievably awful, grandma's asexual voice is hideous and Eleanor's vocals become equally annoying after a while. At first, all I could do was gasp and laugh at how ridiculous the concept was. By the middle of the album I was angry. I really like this group. But this record is a very personal project for the siblings. Too personal in that it's quite esoteric to the music listening public. This record is so bad I would consider it unreleasable. It was more suited to a performance piece for the stage or public radio, than an acutal record. I give the band points for continuing to push the envelope of modern music, but chalk this one up to a musical experiment gone horribly awry. It's simply awful and I would seriously question someone's taste if they were to tell me they like this.… Expand

Best Fiery Furnaces album yet.

I love it. Definitely rewards many listenings, though it CERTAINLY must be listened to from start to finish. As individual songs, it simply doesn't work - but as a whole, it's quite magnificent. This is simply the most ambitious (and pretty much successful) offering in many, many years.

Great album, Matt and Eleanor have done it again, with a little help from Olga.

"if you skip this album, you[']r[e] going to be missing out on the entire world." Why don't you let people make up their own minds about what they do and don't want to listen to? If someone doesn't want to hear this album, then that's their business. Personally, I believe this album is no where near as engaging as 'Blueberry Boat,' but then again I didn't particuarly like that album. Listen if you'd like, don't kick yourself for not doing so.… Expand

Probably the strangest record recorded since the likes of captain beefheart. Wehre as the music frames the lyrics in pretty mcuh every other album ever, the exact opposite is true for this album. When the grandmother speaks of being in a hurry, the music speeds up, when she speaks of being a kid the music becomes playful. The structure and sound ofthe music isreflective of the lyrics, not vice versa and it makes for perhaps the most complex record ever recorded. Listen to it if you dare :D… Expand

It was innovative and at times fantastic, but I don't think I'll listen to it exhaustively, the way I do the other three ff albums. Also, their grandmother's voice is nearly unlistenable, masculine and froglike.

Sublime. Much more indebted to Philip Glass/Robert Wilson, Harry Partch, and Charles Ives than anything rock or pop. I guess as an "indie rock" record it would rate a "42"--trouble is, it's not an "indie rock" record in any way shape or form--so don't be scared, it won't hurt you.

Once again, the Fieries amaze us with something completely out there. Last time it was Blueberry Boat - notice the equally polarized reviews - now it's Rehearsing My Choir. Blueberry boat received more than it's fair share of critical scorn, but it was an unqualified success, RMC is receiving equally polarized reviews and it is equally amazing. The grandmother is amazing, does anyone else hear how she sounds like Capt. Beefheart?… Expand

to assign a number to rate this wonderfully creative work feels inappropriate. all facets of this unique musical statement are beyond reproach. from concept to execution, rehearsing my choir is genius. the disparate reviews only indicate that this will go down as one of the all-time misunderstood gems. well, i am glad i get it and happy the fiery furnaces had the foresight to commit their grandmother's stories to recorded history. three cheers for the furnaces!… Expand

Man, people need to lighten up. Not only is this album incredibly fun (what's the point in life if it's not fun?), and tells a very good story. The music (as chaotic as it can get at times) plays it's role well in setting the mood. Concept albums should never be rated the same as "Pop Hits" albums. This one is very good.

And I thought Blueberry Boat sucked. Just an awful, awful album. If you claim to like this music, you are lying to yourself.

I'm not a fan, but I liked this enough to recosider their previous output....

An album destined to split opinion straight down the middle. I personally find myself adoring this album for it's spirit, vitality and message. It is a perfect late night listen, and an album guaranteed to give a life affirming lesson to those who want to listen. Wonderful.

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