Music Review/Album: 23 Apr 2008
Patrick Freyne

The Midnight Organ Fight

Overwrought second album from Glaswegian indie quartet

Frightened Rabbit fall somewhere strange between Arcade Fire, the Incredible String Band and Snow Patrol. But they don’t quite have the melodies to back up any of these comparisons. I’m a bit perplexed actually because usually an Incredible String Band influence is enough to get a top review out of me, but there’s something missing here. It’s folky, it’s got some indie guitar pomp, and it’s energetic, but if anything it’s too giddy and restless. It’s all a bit overwrought like an irregular heartbeat or a panic attack. Somewhere in there there’s a batch of good songs trying to get out but they’re being tortured by too many guitar notes and drum beats and a voice that’s far too angsty. That said, tracks like ‘The Twist’ indicate what could have been.

Key Track: ‘The Twist’