White Rabbits - It's Frightening

White Rabbits
It’s Frightening

From the maniacal shrieking that heralds opener ‘Percussion Gun’, a tribal rhythm-led stormer full of tinkling piano, funky bass and an eerie, hushed chorus, this Brooklyn-based sextet’s sophomore offering takes the template set out by their debut, 2007′s Fort Nightly, and takes the next logical step forward; only it’s bigger, and better, than this would suggest.

Hypnotic jams, piano and acoustic guitar ballads, sing-along pop choruses, It’s Frightening is simply quite frightening in its ambition and diversity. With two of everything almost – guitarists, vocalists, bassist and drummers – it runs the gamut from one end of the indie-pop spectrum to another. And yet no two songs sit uneasily with one another; each is entirely individual, fully-formed and expertly crafted, and yet they sit perfectly at home alongside the nine other cuts.

“The hottest record in the world” is Zane Lowe’s reaction to the album’s aforementioned opener (and lead single), but he could just as easily and accurately be taking about the record in full; each of the ten choice offerings here is essential in its own right. It’s urgent and primal stuff, yet restrained and considered too, immediate in places and yet it rewards repeat listening as well. Think the bar-room storytelling sensibilities of The National, combined with the angular energy of Editors, shot through with the eccentricity and wilful quirkiness of Modest Mouse, and you’re on the right path to the Rabbits.

After setting the pace with opener and lead single ‘Percussion Gun’, the album maintains its energy and drive with ‘Rudie Fails’, a rousing sing-along hit in waiting, before plateauing with ‘They Done Wrong/We Done Wrong’, which starts as a slight acoustic guitar-led strummer before morphing into a jazz-tinged, winding and hypnotic dream. ‘Lionesse’ brings things full circle, in a way, with an addictively looping bass and piano jam before album highlight ‘Company I Keep’ sweeps in drenched in soul-searching understatement. And this is just the mid-point.

Forfeiting any fast-slow dynamic in line-up, next up is ‘The Salesman (Tramp Life)’ and ‘Midnight and I’, two slow-burning tracks, before It’s Frightening hits the gas again with funk-stomper ‘Right Where They Left’. From here on the album starts to slow things down, dropping the tempo for the end of the night with ‘The Lady Vanishes’ before bowing out with the minimal but magical ‘Leave It At The Door’.

Percussion-heavy and bass-led, where rhythm is the key, White Rabbits give a stylised set, but they’re far from oblique and impenetrable, as their indie kudos might incline some to think. Hooks and harmonies are rife and the vocals command attention, presiding over the rhythmic beats beneath with authority and a hint of melancholy. Really, the only thing frightening here is how good it is. Get ready to meet your new favourite band!

It’s Frightening is released on January 25th on TBD Records.

By Alasdair Morton