The Midnight Organ Fight - Frightened Rabbit Album Review

Photo: Dave Gourley

Album Review

When a band gets together, they need clearly defines musical aims. FR are all over the place.

Glaswegian bros Scott and Grant Hutchinson with Billy Kennedy make up Frightened Rabbit. Together over a four year period the laddies have developed a very distinctive sound with some interesting songs: nothing more. They’re not your Franz Ferdinand, Kooks, Razorlight kind of band because their songs don’t have commercial appeal whatsoever, despite the PR blur stating they can nail a perfect pop song. It also claims that FR aimed to create a more ‘pop’ sounding album and that they’re essentially folk-tinged pop songs. Confusing or what? Somebody needs to quickly tell them what pop music actually is. Unfortunately that aim hasn’t been achieved, so we’re left to judge Midnight Organ Fight for what it is – a mish mash.

The Modern Leper lends itself more to grungy soft rock, with I Feel Better Better eventually turning out a messy. Things get ‘better better’ on the alt-folk Good Arms vs.Bad Arms, which is one of their finest moments, but it’s still not pop. The melodies and harmonies are exquisite though, and it’s a delight to hear them hit form, only to follow it with an average attempt at lightweight rock, Fast Blood. Old Old Fashioned has neat country / rockabilly shuffle, making it their catchiest ditty so far. The Twist is the kind of track that you can easily dismiss. Adding instrumentals Bright Pink Bookmark and Extrasupervery, at barely one minute, is beyond my comprehension. My Backwards Walk is a stab at U2-like stadium rock-riffs but leaves you frustrated and wanting. Again, is it pop? No. Reflecting their Celtic strains, they unleash a superb raging rocker in the form of Keep Yourself Warm, and it excellent too, if long overdue. Thankfully, they up things in terms of mere songcraft with the gorgeous Poke, a floaty ballad dripping in harmonies and melody, giving a huge nod to quaint Americana soundscapes. Just when it gets really good, they dump depressing and spooky ballad Who’d You Kill Now? to finish.

File under: Need to sort their musical agenda, quickly.

Elly Roberts