The first time I heard the Frames, it was courtesy of a beautiful redheaded Irish barista. Don't get any funny ideas -- I was just some schlub having coffee at her place of employment -- but she had the good sense to put on The Frames' last record, the phenomenal Dance the Devil, just in time for me to hear it as I was imbibing my caffeine. As I ingested what sounded like a Britpop band that had swallowed the American indie rock movement whole, I was moved to ask said barista what the musical selection was. "The Frames", she replied. "They're magnificent!" I could hardly argue. She then went on to describe their fate; like so many talented bands, they had been maligned and belittled by inconsiderate management and evil, unsympathetic record companies. According to her, although they were quite popular "back home", they had never really caught on at all in the States. With this band on my mind, I walked a few blocks to a record store and miraculously happened upon a used copy of Dance the Devil. Needless to say, I snapped it up, and proceeded to purchase anything else I could find by the band. Unfortunately, this amounted to only one other CD -- their 1996 release, Fitzcarraldo, which ranks right up there with the best emotional rock records of the '90s. The Frames have been around for ten years now, but only have four records to their name (including For the Birds), one of which is nearly impossible to find (their debut, 1992's Another Love Song).

Not a group to give up easily, Glen Hansard and company have thrown another winner into the fray. Hopefully this time the combination of a sympathetic indie label, decent distribution, a fantastic new album and some US tour dates will push The Frames over the top. I mean, seriously, if bands like Travis and Coldplay can make names for themselves on this side of the pond, there's no reason in the world why The Frames, who play with twice the passion and sincerity of either of those underwhelming combos, can't do so as well. Then again, American audiences have always been quick to embrace "cute" bands who offer mushy platitudes, and not so quick to pick up on slightly more prickly bands who dish out conviction, grit and skillful songwriting at every turn. However, with any luck, For the Birds will be able to reverse The Frames' fate.

For the Birds is by far The Frames' most subdued record yet. Singer/songwriter Hansard has toned down the emoting which made previous benchmarks, such as "Red Chord" and "Revelate" (both from Fitzcarraldo), so unforgettable. He has traded such heart-on-sleeve theatrics for a much more controlled, introspective approach, which makes For the Birds less immediately accessible than its predecessors, but no less satisfying in the end. Although the band has not entirely abandoned the sweeping, lush hooks of its past (see "Headlong", with its magnificent U2-like buildup), they are now more likely to offer songs like the hushed, brooding "Friends and Foe", which features a beautifully sad violin line courtesy of Colm Mac An Iomaire, or "Fighting on the Stairs", which marries a thumping drum loop to an acoustic bed of banjos, acoustic guitars and other odd noises to stunning effect. In fact, a guitar doesn't even come close to being abused until almost five minutes through the ninth song on the record, "Santa Maria". At this point, the crashing guitars that interrupt Hansard's nearly-whispered reverie provide much more of a contrast than they would have on previous releases. Likewise, "Early Bird", which is a powerful, propulsive tune buoyed by a stinging, cutting guitar line, gains even more power when juxtaposed with the quiet solemnity of the rest of the record.

Throughout For the Birds, Hansard is in absolute top vocal form. His voice is restrained on the quiet songs, as if there's a mountain of emotion buried deep in his throat that he's barely holding back. The album's production also deserves commendation. Although it's rather hard to tell exactly whose fingers were twiddling the knobs on which bits of which songs -- the band started recording with Craig Ward (ex- dEUS) at the helm, then flew to Chicago to spend some quality time with the inimitable Steve Albini -- the effect is electrifying throughout. On quiet songs like "Giving Me Wings", the recording is so spare that you can hear the ambient noise of the room in which Hansard's voice was recorded, but on more ferocious tunes like "Early Bird", the stereo space is filled out immaculately with powerful multi-tracked guitars and Hansard's incredible pipes.

For the Birds may just be The Frames' finest album to date. It couldn't have come at a better time, either, as many long-standing UK acts are finally making headway in the US market. The Frames are as good as or better than the lot of them. Let's hope that the words Hansard sings in "Mighty Sword", For the Birds' closing track, have a hope of coming true: "We wield a mighty sword/that cuts through bone and lays the liars down/we wield a mighty sword/that softens stone and turns the tide around". The Frames' Mighty Sword is the combination of their intelligence, their musicianship and their simple conviction to make outstanding records. May they conquer far and wide.