Indie rock bands have many staples. As more and more music is released you can always count on indie rock bands to have similar music instrumentation. The loud distorted guitar, the poetic but often vague/strange lyrics, and pulsing drum rhythms. The latest release entitled "Pedestrian Verse" from Scottish rock band Frightened Rabbit puts a few new twists on all the requirements of a solid indie rock album.The opening song "Acts of Man" starts the album with a soft piano line that starts to crescendo and build into a percussive march. The lyrics lamenting the selfishness and pervasiveness of the lives of all men while contrastingly talking about he is desperately trying to improve as Scott Hutchison sings out in his heavy Scottish accent "Sorry, Selfish, trying to improve. I'm here, I'm here, not heoric but I try" This is definitely a fine example of song crafting that keeps showing throughout the album. Other tracks like "The Woodpile" and "State Hospital" use the echo distortion of the guitar and tribal like drumming to keep the listener in a state of inspiration and awe at the raw power of rock and roll. Where the song "Late March, Death March" takes ample use of catchy choruses and the stereotypical but never overused harmonies and chanting to keep the song's pace and catchiness up to par with a song by a band like The National or Arcade Fire. Overall this album is a joy to listen too for all indie rock fans out there. While they never go too overboard with their song writing or do anything to edgy, Frightened Rabbit's latest release is a definite success in a hopefully long lasting career.
Rec Tracks: Acts of Man, The Woodpile, Late March, Death March, State Hospital
Listen if you like: The National, Arcade Fire, Mumford and Sons, The Decemberists