The title of Frightened Rabbit’s new-fangled album Pedestrian Verse is, if anything, a self-prophecy.
Eagerly awaited after the tumultuous successes of their previous musings, the Scottish quintet had a lot to live up to, and lyrically Scott Hutchison brought his all.
The 12 tracks present on the album are woven attentively, the multi-faceted and intimate lyrics a testament of Hutchison’s ability to story tell.
But it feels like in some songs such as ‘Dead Now,’ the challenge of building something with clarity and meaning overtook the importance of creating something really easy to listen to.
It is simple to appreciate the obvious skill of the foursome, but the lyrics often run into themselves or share awkward pauses, as if they were written first of all and the music just a side note or a necessary element.
Having said this, it is important to understand that it’s 100% possible the boys of Frightened Rabbit weren’t first and foremost concerned with the commerciality of their work.
Pedestrian Verse is an album engrained with thought and interest, the more you listen the more it is embedded in your mind as one to watch.
It might not all be radio friendly but it is most definitely for anyone who appreciates music that means something; music that’s not created solely for easy listening or easy selling.
Frightened Rabbit have once again brought something truly lovely to the table, and that’s a splendid thing.
