Frightened Rabbit | Pedestrian Verse

Atlantic Records (2013)
By MICHAEL CHRISTOPHER  |  February 11, 2013
3.0 3.0 Stars

frightened-rabbit

Worrywarts who were stressed about Frightened Rabbit making the major-label jump after three well-received indie full-lengths and a pair of EPs can quit fretting. The Scottish outfit have delivered again with jangly pop full of skittering guitars, self-flagellating lyricism, and whimsy under a pall of darkness that no amount of the big spotlight can dispel. For proof, just check out some of the song titles: "Dead Now," "Backyard Skulls," "Late March, Death March." Yeah, there are no puppies here (unless they're dead), or rainbows, just plenty of dark clouds. Downtrodden in subject matter, these songs are foot-stomping anthems nonetheless. Over some Andy Monaghan fretwork cribbed straight from Joy Division, Scott Hutchison sings about being trapped in collapsing and abandoned buildings, cursing in church, sleeping off the bad vibes, and confessing, "I don't mind being lonely/So leave me alone." It's less a pity party and more a declaration about being cast into shade. And being just fine with that.

»  MICHAELCHRISTOPHER22@HOTMAIL.COM

FRIGHTENED RABBIT + WINTERSLEEP:: House of Blues, 15 Lansdowne St, Boston :: April 2 :: 7 pm :: All-Ages :: $22.50 adv./$25 doors :: 888.693.2583 or hob.com/boston

Related: Review: Joyful Noise, Alex Chilton | Free Again: The ''1970'' Sessions, Cardinal | Hymns, More more >
  Topics: CD Reviews , Music, review, Frightened Rabbit
| More


Most Popular
ARTICLES BY MICHAEL CHRISTOPHER
Share this entry with Delicious
  •   REX BROWN DELIVERS THE WORD ON PANTERA  |  March 20, 2013
    “No holds barred” and “warts and all” are typical qualifiers when it comes to rock-and-roll memoirs, but rarely do they fulfill the promise.
  •   PHOTOS: DEVOTCHKA AT THE HOUSE OF BLUES  |  March 13, 2013
    DeVotchKa performs live at the House of Blues on March 9, 2013.
  •   WHAT'S F'N NEXT? ALT-J  |  February 26, 2013
    Bands that have taken home the United Kingdom's Mercury Prize in the past have included Suede, Pulp, Primal Scream, and Arctic Monkeys.
  •   SHOUT OUT LOUDS | OPTICA  |  February 26, 2013
    Stockholm's Shout Out Louds have always been a curious but consistent act.
  •   WHAT'S F'N NEXT? CAVEMAN  |  February 20, 2013
    Most people are probably sick to death of Brooklyn being a hipster's paradise where dinks with moustaches tatted on their fingers drive fixed-gear bikes to Williamsburg bars to pay $6.50 for a can of PBR.

 See all articles by: MICHAEL CHRISTOPHER