Exclusive European album premiere of ‘It’s Better That Way’ by A Fragile Tomorrow, out via MPress Records.

‘It’s Better That Way’ is a sonic melting pot, combining many of the band’s musical interests and diving into new territory as well. From Krautrock-psychedelia, to indie rock swagger, to Crowded House-esque pop songcraft, to British folk and hip-hop-influenced sampling, the album showcases the diversity of the band under the art rock banner, a term that AFT has adopted in recent years that has allowed them the freedom to explore outside of the confines of genre.

Emotionally dense, and resplendently raw and urgent, both the music and lyrics take one on a beautiful, albeit jolting, ride. The themes in the album weave between personal topics such as anorexia (‘All Signs To Amsterdam’), losing a mother (‘Another Club’), and the tribute to Sandy Denny (‘Sandy’), to critical social/political issues facing us now. ‘Fraying Wire’, a direct response to January 6th, brings attention to America’s corrupt political system, where propaganda on the internet shapes our belief systems. ‘For An Eye’ looks at the prison and military industrial-complexes that are backed by a harsh capitalistic system, ‘Look Out’ supports salt-of-the-earth union workers, and ‘Lost In Art’ conveys a message of resistance to the conformity of mainstream music and the music industry.

About ‘It’s Better That Way’, Sean Kelly explains, “It’s an album that is, I think, the best encapsulation of the band we’ve always been and the interests we’ve always had. There are rock songs, folk songs, loops and samples, mandolins, acoustic guitars, synths, straight-up pop songs in the vein of songwriters like Neil Finn, a song heavily influenced by hip-hop duo Madvillain, and some new wave-y angular jangle. It’s really an amalgamation of everything we love and everything we’re interested in exploring. It’s probably best described as “art rock”, a term that throws genre out the window, which is something that appeals to me”.

Produced by the band, with additional production by Peter Holsapple (dB’s, R.E.M., Hootie and the Blowfish, Continental Drifters), and mastered by Grammy® winning mastering engineer Alan Silverman, ‘It’s Better That Way’, A Fragile Tomorrow consists of Sean Kelly (singer/songwriter/guitarist), Brendan Kelly (guitar/songwriter/pedal master), Shaun Rhoades (bass), and Josh Kean (drums). Guest appearances include Peter Holsapple (organ, synth, harmonica, harmonium, banjo) and Vicki Peterson (the Bangles, singing on Fraying Wire).

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