Pedestrian Verse

Traces of childhood

Frightened Rabbit is not just a catchy and memorable name to work perfectly for a band. This is the name Frightened Rabbit leader Scott Hutchison got from his mother who saw in her son too much shyness and modesty. Today, Scott is definitely more confident of himself, and he certainly feels no shame or embarrassment for what he says or does. Otherwise he would not be what he is now, and his ensemble could hardly count on the success they have now. The Scottish five-piece released their fourth album, Pedestrian Verse, being an established indie-rock band with a huge army of followers who expect nothing less than an inevitably solid record from their favorites. The fresh CD is the first effort by the Scots on a new, larger label which signed them after the triumph of the excellent previous long player, The Winter Of Mixed Drinks (2010). However, changing the label is only the first step to a new sound and new lyrical topics in Frightened Rabbit songs.

Pedestrian Verse: time to discover new horizons

According to Hutchison’s word, prior to work on Pedestrian Verse, he knew that the time had come to look for new questions, new challenges in his band’s songs. The first three albums had a content that made the project look like a solo effort by Scott alone, who was trying hard to attach listener’s focus to his ego. Pedestrian Verse will be a revelation to those who were sure that the musician would continue writing the same way. Acts Of Man is a mindblower with a contrast between the ridiculous and tragic, kind and mean. Unpleasant sketches of daily life form a perfect background to highlight the importance and permanence of human life’s biggest values. That’s how massive, epic and serious the beginning of the new Frightened Rabbit album is. The track made listeners believe that the band in some sense had begun a new life. The vocalist is a great designer of interesting stories. Sufficient to name Late March, Death March, having a peculiar marriage of religious questions and private life matters. However, lyrics are not the only thing innovated here.

Frightened Rabbit are now more like a rock band and less like a solo project

Holy is an unexpected visit paid to shoegaze. Banging bass, intensive percussion and overlapping of guitars create a sensation of going back in time. The same track discloses the potential of Frightened Rabbit as an actual ensemble where each member is a valuable unit making the difference. So Pedestrian Verse is the first Frightened Rabbit work which makes the audience watch closely not only Scott Hutchison’s lyrical character’s feelings and emotions, but what the instruments do as well, and they did a lot to make the CD a choice of treats. Dead Now illustrates this point as it kicks off seemingly like just another background for the vocalist’s tale and then builds into a full-scale musical piece as it draws near the end. Another powerful track with a mighty instrumental foundation is the album’s closing Oil Slick with some borrowings from American rock. In conclusion, Pedestrian Verse makes a dramatic step towards the enrichment of the band’s musical style and lyrical researches. This prolific and intriguing record has a variety that none of its predecessors do, and at the same time its music still remains in within the boundaries of indie rock this band once chose.