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White Rabbits, for instance have been performing together for a number of years and It’s Frightening, their second studio album which they have chosen to bestow upon us Brits as of last month, was released in their native US last May.
Despite the hard work they’ve clearly been putting in, they set out on this record like a band with something left to prove; the initial thundering drums of ‘Percussion Gun’ pave the way for passionate vocals and an addictive riff. The song rockets forward gaining layers of bass, piano and backing vocals, the entire band stretching its musical limbs, only to deny the listener the anticipated climax, breaking the texture down before slowly building once more. Hot on its heels comes ‘Rudie Fails’, an upbeat rocker with a Vampire Weekend flavour and a surprising hint of U2 circa 1987, and ‘They Done Wrong/We Done Wrong’ with its acoustic guitars and rhythmic bass line (bearing a striking resemblance to the Doctor Who theme) making an entertaining team.
It’s surprising to learn that ‘Lionesse’, a slow chromatic experimental opening that gives way to what seems to be a creative take on the bass-line of the James Bond theme, was released in the US as a single, as this is where things feel like they start to drag slightly, despite the promising start. At this point I couldn’t help but feel it was going to be a downhill trip from here, but I was delighted to be proved completely wrong by the record’s centrepiece, ‘Company I Keep’. Its brilliant use of acoustic guitars and percussion creates a song that might not sound out of place on a Tom Rush album, but what proves most effective is the simplicity of its construction, a combination of beautiful chord sequences and a swooping melody enhanced by wistful vocal tones.
Things don’t drop far beneath this high standard for the album’s remainder, from the dark quirkiness and Radiohead-fantasy qualities of ‘Midnight and I’, to ‘Right Where They Left’, catchy rhythms topped with another melody that pinches in all the right places. ‘The Lady Vanishes’ opens with a melody reminiscent of the album opener which, whether by accident or design, is a great feature that gives the album a sense of having come full circle.
But the true masterstroke is left right until the end with ‘Leave It At The Door’, just Stephen Patterson’s solitary vocals resting atop a deep, winding piano ostinato that suggestively traces the outlines of a beautiful chord sequence. Don’t listen to the hype, just take a listen to this track, it’ll tell you all you need to know about the outstanding talent, and the vast potential of White Rabbits. Just make sure you take a listen soon; if we’re going to entice them across the pond then we’d better act fast…
White Rabbits play the Manchester Academy on 15/2/2010. It's Frightening is out now.
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