The Fray - The Fray (2009)

The Fray is an American rock band from Denver, Colorado. Formed in 2002 by schoolmates Isaac Slade and Joe King. Their debut album, How to Save a Life released in 2005, was certified double platinum by the RIAA and platinum in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. Their first single, "Over My Head (Cable Car)", became a top ten hit in the United States. Their second single, "How to Save a Life", charted in the top three of the Billboard Hot 100 and was a top 5 single in Australia, Canada, Ireland, Italy, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom.

The group's self-titled, second album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard charts after its release in 2009 and was certified gold in the United States, Australia and Canada. It was also nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album in 2010. While both the albums were commercially successful, critical reception was mixed. The Fray was ranked No. 84 on Billboard's Artists of the Decade list. Their third album Scars & Stories, released in 2012, achieved moderate commercial success, debuting and peaking at No. 4 on the Billboard 200. This album also received mixed reviews from critics. The band's fourth album, Helios, was released in February 2014, and the band's greatest hits album, Through the Years: The Best of the Fray, was released in November 2016.

The band's use of the piano as the lead instrument in their music has led critics to compare the band with English, piano-driven bands such as Coldplay and Keane. The Fray's lyrical content and mood have been described as austere, theatrical, cathartic and ethereal; it consists of overarching themes such as tribulation, poignancy and yearning. However, the band lists its influences as the Wallflowers, Counting Crows, Better Than Ezra and U2.