After independent release of the two EPs, The Fray looked for a record company. They wanted to release a full-length album. Their song, "Cable Car", was released to Denver radio station KTCL. It saw significant airplay.
The alternative newsweekly, in Denver -- Westword, named them "Best New Band" in 2004. This caused Mike Flynn, an Epic Records executive, to sign the band to a recording contract. This was on December 17, 2004. "Cable Car" was chosen by Epic Records as the first released single from the album. It was renamed "Over My Head (Cable Car)" to include the hook of the song in the title.
Critical reception.
Generally, critical reception was modest, for the album. Only a few major publications gave poor reviews. However, most reviewers called it "above average" or "just average." The songs on the album were compared particularly to British alternative rock groups. These include Coldplay and Keane.
Blender, All Music Guide, and Rolling Stone all gave the album three stars of five.
Market success.
How to Save a Life reached #1, in its first week of eligibilty for the Billboard music charts, This was in the Top Heatseekers chart. Since, it has climbed the Billboard 200 chart reaching a peak of 14. On October 14, the album sold two million copies. It is certified Double Platinum by the RIAA. Also, it has been certified platinum in Canada (50,000 copies) and Australia (70,000 copies). In January 2007, the album achieved the best-selling digital album of all time.
The album yielded two top ten singles. These were "How to Save a Life" and "Over My Head (Cable Car)" from the album. During a March 8, 2006 episode of Bones (a Fox show) and a video for Grey's Anatomy, the song "Look After You" was played.
"How to Save a Life" which is the title track, was featured on April 25, 2006 in the Scrubs episode "My Lunch", and in the April 19, 2006 episode of One Tree Hill. In the commercial for an episode of Rescue Me, it was used along with promos for HBO.
"Over My Head (Cable Car)" was featured in a Cold Case episode. Included with a pre-order purchase are a bonus CD of four live tracks. A limited edition CD and DVD was available, On September 19, 2006. The DVD has the music video for "Over My Head (Cable Car)", and the making of the video. There is a segment about the making of the album, with a documentary about touring. Also, "She Is" was featured in an episode of Scrubs, "My Night to Remember".