Modern guitar-driven indie music is a hard beast to categorise. I feel that the spiky nonsense of Razorlight and The Libertines (and all their respective copycats) has dominated much of the recent output of homegrown guitar bands... All you have to do is have a listen to Oasis’ 'The Importance of Being Idle' to see how prevalent this (frankly fucking annoying) trait is.
Step forward then, the magnificent Frightened Rabbit! First off, the name is great, and secondly, they’re Scottish, which adds some bias I will admit, but you know, we don’t really have that many great bands up here at the moment!
This single, 'Fast Blood', is utterly superb. Saccharine without being cloying, and quite panoramic in its sweep. The song is simple, beautiful, flawless. It’s like Mogwai getting a blowjob from the Velvet Underground in the toilets of Glasgow Central while Sonic Youth take polaroids. It’s like enjoying a bag of midget gems you’ve just stolen from the shop. And I adore the unabashedly accented singing voice. I will admit that not all bands who try this approach succeed, but it fits in very nicely and adds honesty and a rough edge to what is ostensibly a three minute slice of gorgeous, lush indie.
They sound effortlessly skilled, as though they could play more complex parts if they wished, but know exactly what is required. They also sound as though they cannot be arsed, because they know they’re brilliant! I can’t wait to hear what these boys can do when they throw on the distortion.
Second track 'Soon Go' is also excellent, but a more subdued and thoughtful affair than the directed ire of the first track: no less enjoyable in its constancy and sprawling arpeggiated mastery, though.
I will definitely be following this band from now on, and I urge you to do the same. Their potential is unbelievable.
Martin Cassidy
Frightened Rabbit site: http://www.frightenedrabbit.co.uk/ |