Fray review

I've broken with my normal practice of one listen before review for The Fray and it's a good thing I have because this would be one different review.
On first listen obviously the single You Found Me was a standout but really that was all that grabbed me. Quite a contrast to How To Save A Life which I named the album of 2007.
I'm going to go with the highlights and save the best for last.
I played this CD about four times over in the car on Sunday and it grew on me gradually. It's funny when you expect to instantly like something and get disappointed. But I didn't give up and kept listening and, sure enough, the gems were there, just hidden a little better than they were on the first album.
The first two songs Syndicate and Absolute are in the grower category, particularly the first one but now I have it in the top four songs on the CD (at four). Never Say Never, track five, is a fairly standard ballad-type song on the surface. It is also one that grabs you later on but it's out of the top five for me.
Jumping down to Enough For Now, my second favourite song, and it's a haunting tale that kind of creeps up on you but it has a chorus that cuts you open and makes you feel it. Brilliant.
As I said, saving the best for last. Say When is a masterpiece as far as I'm concerned and is really worth a few listens. It reminds me a bit of How To Save A Life meshed with Trust Me from the debut album. If you know those songs well you'll have some idea of what I mean.
There are a lot of lyrics to this song and it just builds and builds and, honestly, I can't listen to it enough. I want to get to know the lyrics so I can sing a lot but I think it will take a bit of time.
I'm impressed with The Fray's second album, the only negative I will give (aside from the packaging that I mentioned a while back) is the fact there are only 10 songs. I know there are a few more floating around on iTunes as part of a deluxe version but they should have been on the main release.