Frightened Rabbit

One Liner: Tuneful indie brooding from Scottish dudes who remind me of the National

Poster Position: 11

Thoughts:  Scottish dudes.  I love the band name so very much.  Reminds me of Watership Down, which was my favorite book as a child for years.  When my kids got a rabbit a few years ago, I mind-controlled them into naming it Hazel.  I got mind control on Debo.  Thinking about that book still kind of makes me sad, but so great.

Anyhoo, this band has nothing to do with 40 year old novels.  Their new album (Painting of a Panic Attack) reminds me of the National, in that their sounds are kind of dark and brooding, never all that upbeat and poppy, although the music they are making is kind of an indie pop thing anyway.  They've got six albums, stretching back from 2006's Sing the Greys up to this year's Painting of a Panic Attack.  The album just prior to the new one, 2013's Pedestrian Verse, is much more upbeat and bright.  I like that sound significantly better than the new album.  How about a taste test?!?

First, the band's lead single from Painting of a Panic Attack, "Death Dream," with 1.4 million streams on Spotify.

Dark ass lyrics ("we died in our sleep last night!") and kind of a dirge march tune.  Then, on the other hand, here is "The Woodpile," at 4.5 million their most listened to track on Spotify and a tune from the 2013 album.

See how much brighter in sound that is?  Good tune.  This 2013 album is similarly tasty - I like "December's Traditions" and "Housing (out)."  In fact, I like this album quite a bit.  Really nice music with a slight edge to it.

Another track from the new album, that I like more than the single used up above, is "Get Out" with 2.1 million streams.

Video kinda freaks me out, man.  The 2010 album, The Winter of Mixed Drinks, is also a plus album, tuneful and lyrical in a way that reminds me of the good sounds of Kodaline.  I didn't expect to like this band at all after listening to their first album, but now I'm feelin' it.  I might just take the time to go hear them do it live.