Holding Onto Strings Better Left to Fray
Seether's heavier instincts remain audible on Holding Onto Strings Better Left to Fray, but melody increasingly sets the direction. Shaun Morgan spends more time shaping clean vocal lines, and the songs often favour an accessible chorus over a rougher finish. The change produces some worthwhile contrasts, although the album does not turn enough of its ideas into convincing songs.
Fur Cue provides a forceful start. A blunt guitar riff supports the change between rougher verses and a cleaner chorus, while the lead guitar gives the bridge a different focus. No Resolution keeps the weight but adds a southern rock feel. Its group vocals and direct rhythm make it one of the more effective attempts to balance power with an inviting hook.
Country Song takes that mixture somewhere more distinctive. The twang in the guitar and the stomping beat sit against a heavier chorus, giving the track a recognisable character. The parts do not always fit together smoothly, but the willingness to change the usual setting is welcome. Even its awkwardness offers more interest than another routine hard rock arrangement.
There is a softer side worth considering, too. Master of Disaster benefits from the bass underneath Morgan's broad vocal melody. Pass Slowly gives the guitars and bass a gentler setting, allowing the ballad to develop an atmosphere beyond its familiar emotional language. Neither song needs greater volume to make its intention clear.
The problem is how often familiarity becomes the main impression. Here and Now and Tonight push towards a kind of reassurance that can feel forced, while several later tracks lack a strong enough idea to justify another similar verse and chorus. The cleaner singing is not the issue by itself. It needs material that gives the change a purpose.
Holding Onto Strings Better Left to Fray is an uneven move towards more accessible rock. A few riffs, vocal melodies and changes of texture show that Seether still have useful instincts. Too much of the album, however, settles for recognisable gestures instead of building on them. The better songs suggest a workable direction, but the full record never makes that direction feel essential.
