“Empty City Nights,” their latest album, is an intimate portrait of urban life, love and loneliness. Recorded on one microphone for only $200, it is presented as glimpses into the lives of different people during one “empty city night.” It is the kind of stripped back, raw, and emotional album that fans of far beyond frail’s live shows and earlier EP’s have been waiting for years to hear.
“The album was inspired by the view from my loft in downtown Kansas City. I’d be looking out my window late at night, see a handful of lights on, and wonder what might be happening in those apartments,” says far beyond frail guitarist and songwriter David Cecil. Sharlynn Verner, the band’s vocalist adds, “It’s kind of a reflection on how isolated city life can feel, even though you’re in such close proximity to so many people going through the same things.”
While this is far beyond frail’s fifth release, they’ve typically recorded with full bands, producers, and larger studio budgets. “We’ve been crisscrossing the country for years, touring as a duo, so we thought it was time to make an album as a duo,” says Cecil. “We wanted to see what would happen if it was just the two of us in a room, with the ability to hit record. So, we bought a cheap microphone and set out to make the whole thing with just it and my laptop.”
Even though “Empty City Nights” is a departure from how far beyond frail has made albums in the past, it doesn’t stray far from the sound that has made them an underground success story. Drawing from influences like Counting Crows, Aimee Mann and Sarah McLachlan, as well as contemporaries like Ingrid Michaelson, A Fine Frenzy, and Sarah Bareilles, “Empty City Nights” is edgy, emotional pop music that combines singer-songwriter sincerity with alt-rock intensity. “We think it’s the closest we’ve come to capturing whatever it is that made us want to write songs and play them for people in the first place,” says Verner.
“Empty City Nights” is available wherever digital music is sold, including far beyond frail’s online store at http://music.farbeyondfrail.com, where listeners can preview the entire album and name their price to download it. For more information, visit the band's website at http://www.farbeyondfrail.com.
Touch
Far Beyond Frail Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
On the back
On the back of my neck
I remember stars that seemed too bright
Lighting up that surreal night
Like little angels.
I remember how your lips moved
Softly across every inch of my skin
My hands gripping the grass
Like I was falling…
And I remember thinking that
In a few hours now
It's gonna rain
In just a few hours now
It's gonna change…
Things change in the morning rain
‘Cuz Baby night is easier to take
First thing I said, when the stars went away
Is I knew we'd touch, I knew we'd touch
But I didn't know you'd stay…
I remember how your hands felt
When they touched
Touched a sinner like me
I remember wondering if the breeze
Was whispering to the autumn leaves
She's forgiven.
And I remember thinking that
In a few hours now
It's gonna rain
In just a few hours now
It's gonna change…
Things change in the morning rain
‘Cuz Baby night is easier to take
First thing I said, when the stars went away
Is I knew we'd touch, I knew we'd touch
But I didn't know you'd stay…
My love, my love, my love
If those night feelings start to fade
Hang on, hang on, hang on…
My love, my love, my love
Those stars'll come back someday
Just hang on, my love, hang on
Things change in the morning rain
‘Cuz Baby night is easier to take
First thing I said, when the stars went away
Is I knew we'd touch, I knew we'd touch
But I didn't know you'd stay…
I didn't know you'd stay…
Oh I didn't know you'd stay…
The lyrics to Far Beyond Frail's "Touch" depict a vivid memory of a romantic encounter. The singer reminisces about the feeling of her lover's teeth on the back of her neck, the brightness of the stars on a surreal night, and their lips softly grazing every inch of her skin. She recalls lying on her back, hands gripping the grass, feeling like she was falling. The singer knew that things would change in the morning rain, but night is easier to take. She remembers thinking that they would touch but didn't expect her lover to stay. Despite the feeling that the night might fade, the singer encourages her lover to hang on because the stars will eventually come back someday.
The song's lyrics capture the fleeting nature of a romantic encounter, where the memory of a few hours can last a lifetime. The singer's vivid memories of the night emphasize the intense emotional connection she shared with her lover. The melancholic tone suggests a longing for what could have been, as the singer reflects on the beauty of the moment and the changes that inevitably followed.
Line by Line Meaning
I remember how your teeth felt
Recalling the sensation of your teeth pressing into the back of my neck
On the back
The placement of your teeth and the subsequent sensation
On the back of my neck
The specific location on my body where I felt your teeth
I remember stars that seemed too bright
Remembering the dazzling brightness of the stars shining down upon us that surreal night
Lighting up that surreal night
Illuminating the night and making it seem otherworldly
Like little angels.
The brightness of the stars making them seem like angelic beings
I remember how your lips moved
Recalling the way your lips softly touched every inch of my skin
Softly across every inch of my skin
The gentle, delicate touch of your lips caressing every part of my body
I remember lying on my back
Recalling the position I was in, lying on my back during our encounter
My hands gripping the grass
Clutching onto the blades of grass beneath me, as if falling
Like I was falling…
Feeling a sensation of falling or losing control
And I remember thinking that
Recalling a specific thought I had during our encounter
In a few hours now
Anticipating a change that would happen within the next few hours
It's gonna rain
Predicting that rain would soon start to fall
Things change in the morning rain
Noticing that things tend to shift or transform during and after a rainstorm
‘Cuz Baby night is easier to take
Nighttime can be overwhelming, but the morning brings clarity and new opportunities
First thing I said, when the stars went away
Reflecting on a specific comment I made as the stars disappeared
Is I knew we'd touch, I knew we'd touch
Knowing with certainty that we would have an intimate encounter
But I didn't know you'd stay…
Not expecting or anticipating that you would continue to be a presence in my life
When they touched
Recalling the moment when your hands reached out and made contact with my body
Touched a sinner like me
Your touch felt redemptive and healing, like it was washing away my sins
I remember wondering if the breeze
Recalling a moment when I felt the gentle wind blowing against my skin
Was whispering to the autumn leaves
Contemplating if the wind was communicating with the leaves on the trees
She's forgiven.
The wind and leaves offering a sense of forgiveness and acceptance
My love, my love, my love
Addressing a beloved person in my life with affection
If those night feelings start to fade
If the intensity of our night together starts to diminish
Hang on, hang on, hang on…
Encouraging myself or my loved one to hold onto the memories and emotions
Those stars'll come back someday
Believing that the brightness and magic of that night will return someday in the future
Just hang on, my love, hang on
Reiterating the importance of persevering and holding on through challenging times
Oh I didn't know you'd stay…
Expressing surprise and gratitude that you remained a presence in my life after our intimate encounter
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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