Did The Fray Deliver The Worst National Anthem Ever?

Becky Bain | April 3, 2012 4:10 pm

We almost feel bad for anyone who event attempts to perform the national anthem — unless you’re Whitney Houston, chances are someone is going to be disappointed. And my oh my, were many people disappointed upon hearing The Fray’s (remember them?) flowery acoustic version of “The Star Spangled Banner” at a NCAA basketball championship game last night. Listen and judge for yourself below.

As EW Music Mix points out, it sounds like The Fray were inspired by Kermit The Frog’s “The Rainbow Connection” when figuring out the arrangement for their version.

Though not the worst performance of the National Anthem we’ve ever heard (not to mention, frontman Isaac Slade managed to remember all the words!), we can see why most people would think their lackadaisical, acoustic rendition wasn’t appropriate for a song we’re used to hearing in a larger-than-life manner. It does sound like the band’s guitarists were playing in two different keys, though. Oof.

What do you think of The Fray’s unique performance? Not that bad, or do you still have your hands over your ears? Let us know what you think on Facebook, Twitter, or in the comments below.

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