Helios

Since 2005’s <i>How to Save a Life</i>, the Denver-based quartet have delivered unflinchingly emotional sentimentality through distinct piano-driven rock. While <i>Helios</i> still delivers ample tenderness and vulnerability, it’s more forceful than any of The Fray’s previous studio albums. Lead singer Isaac Slade alternates between an ethereal falsetto and a delicate rasp—whether it’s on punchy, Killers-style rockers or tunes built on gauzy, reverb-soaked synths and percussion. The result is an album that feels both instantly familiar (like the sweepingly emotive “Break Your Plans”) and ornate (like the graceful “Shadow and a Dancer”).