Frightened Rabbit Scares Up Unbridled Intensity

Hailing from Scotland, Frightened Rabbit enters the adult alternative fray courtesy of "Get Out", a tune that sneaks up on you and then...BAM!! Electricity personified. The new album's called "Painting Of a Panic Attack" which does hardly any justice to this outfit's powder keg waiting to be unleashed brand of boy girl anguish. The table isn't fully set until the one minute mark rounds its way into the side mirror, begging you to ignore the rubber it's peeling. Early on I thought Frightened Rabbit's mannerisms appear to go hand and glove beside '80s alt names like Simple Minds and The Cure. Like I said, the lads come by way of the land known for producing Robert Burns. Simple Minds front man Jim Kerr is of Scottish descent so the comparison totally sync up. Scott Hutchison's vocals are modest, not so bad given he's detailing an unhealthy relationship where "under her thumb" doesn't exactly bring down the red alert alarms. He spells his dilemma out rather than venture over into conventional "Oh, woe is me" turf. The beat seldom veers of course from a motif bordering on surveying the scene of the accident whilst not getting too close to where much blood runs over the innocent. The chord structure modifies to fit a calmer scenario during the chorus but then inches right back up to hawk looking down on the ravaged he-man. You'd likely leave the scene of the crime needing to upchuck after a steady inhalation of verse one. Scott's helplessness isn't exactly concealed in swaddling clothes. His assessments? "I'm in the arch of the church between her thumb and forefinger. I'm a worshipper, a zealot king, cursed, a devotee of the heady golden dance she does. She's an uncut drug. Find the vein and the pulse. Chased it and for a minute I was floating dead above myself. Scott obviously needs a few more outside interests besides being beaten down by the female form. How about bird watching. At least then you're watching something capable of flying gracefully instead of sapping mercilessly. In the video there happens to be plenty of girl on girl conflict played out expertly thanks to top notch cinematography. Grant Hutchison, step forward and be counted. Your steady as she goes stick smacking plays a large role in getting Scott out of a pretty minor role as the "How did I ever get into this jam" wounded heart hunter into the shoes of gentleman taking back some dignity. Drums usher in Scott's declaration of calamity divinely. He knows the lady's not going to go quietly. He's not trolling the packed house for sympathy either. Thanks Frightened Rabbit for staying on message throughout the chorus. Scott simply admits his defeated stance and allows us a level of admiration based on his not trying to run from his quandary. Scott confesses, "Get out of my heart. She won't. She won't." That's the variety of haunting neither sex gets over within weeks. All it took was a glimmer in the dark and Scott knew he was a goner. In verse two he goes so far as to reduce his being to anonymous content in her purse. He begs her, "Pull me out and throw me down. Stick me to your lip and draw a scarlet 'O'" That borders on kinky but since nothing really shocks me since cable TV seeped into my universe I'll regard it as oddly quaint and get on with the analysis. Andy Monaghan closes in the most stunning way possible given Scott's over the edge visual intimations. Andy's keyboards sound like they're disintegrating right before our ears. Couldn't steal a better end game. In short "Get Out" gets super serious, super resigned, and super charged up. Frightened Rabbit has succeeded in ditching its shell long enough to inject uncomfortably moving protagonist humility into the adult alternative rock epicenter.