Anyone who’s come to me in the last half year or so and asked me to recommend a band, regardless of what music they listen to I always mention Frightened Rabbit (MySpace). I start talking about how their latest album The Midnight Organ Fight is the best album I’ve heard in years, and how I can’t stop listening to it, and like omg go check out the album now already!!!11 And maybe I started to sound crazy because nobody would take my advice and then months later they’d tell me about Frightened Rabbit and say, oh, you mentioned them before didn’t you? I hope these same people realize now that obviously I have awesome taste and they should listen to me from now on and take notes. Grr.
I discovered this band back in 2006: before their album was released in North America I got a leaked copy of the UK release of Sing the Greys. I really liked their sound and was interested in hearing more, but there wasn’t all that much more to the album for me than a sense of potential. Plus they didn’t come to Vancouver on their NAm tour, so I sort of forgot about them.
This past spring I heard their new album was coming out, and I was strangely excited about this, as if I somehow knew, the way you know a good melon. I got an advanced copy of their new album because I have neither patience nor morals, and then spent a whole weekend doing nothing but listening to them. And then spent the next 9 months doing nothing but listening to them. Really, most of musical purchases since April have been entirely pointless.
In the 1820s there was a French composer named Hector Berlioz who fell in love with an English actress named Harriet Smithson, known for her role as Ophelia in Hamlet. He sent her many love letters, but she did not respond, and dejected and in despair, he goes off on an opium binge and composes the Symphonie Fantastique. A few years later Harriet discovers that she was its muse and goes off and marries the guy, because who wouldn’t? It’s a great story up until they get divorced 9 years later.
Anyways, heartbreak seems to be the bomb of musical inspiration, and Midnight Organ Fight is a song cycle about the lead singer’s recent breakup. It’s there in the lyrics and in his voice, and if you can’t relate then you have no feeling.
“Keep Yourself Warm” has to be the best song I’ve ever heard to describe casual sex; specifically sleeping with someone you met at a bar to try to numb yourself from the pain. People sing along to this at Frightened Rabbit’s concerts, because there’s something universal about making mistakes like this when you’re emotionally hurt.
You won’t find love in a, won’t find love in a hole,
It takes more than fucking someone to keep yourself warm
My favourite song from the album is “Good Arms vs. Bad Arms”, which is about your ex coming to drop off your stuff and you dealing with your feelings towards them. The chorus goes,
Leave the rest at arm’s length,
Keep your naked flesh under your favourite dress
which is all you need to know. I find this song, like the others, quite poetic in its metaphor and word play (“Good arms, versus bad arms, will win hands down”/”I am armed to the teeth and I’m heavy set”).
According to my Last.fm profile I’ve listened to this song more than any other this year, yet I still can’t get enough of it. Though I always was a sucker for 6/8 time.
Don’t mistake me; the album isn’t all dark and sad. After the despair comes hope, and the mindset that “while I’m alive, I’ll make tiny changes to Earth”.
I saw the band perform at the Media Club a few months ago, and I am kicking myself that I didn’t go up to Scott Hutchison after their set and tell him how much this album meant to me and that it was my favourite in years if not this decade. But I thought I’d seem really sappy and dumb so I didn’t. Hopefully some of you will listen to the songs and get a sense of what I’m talking about.
Frightened Rabbit is pretty cool. The show was exceptional! Thanks for pointing it out to us.
I have to admit I haven’t given them much airtime since the show but the Good Arms vs. Bad Arms song is great. I’ll have to spin their stuff this week.
yep, you officially became my music hero once I finally gave Frightened Rabbit a listen. The new album is probably my favorite new album this^H^H^H^H last year, I worry that I might wear it out on the people around me I play it so much.
I’ve gotten quite hooked on the old album too, some real catchy songs on there. Before we saw them live I listened to some live recordings which didn’t sound great and was a bit worried.. but the show was fantastic. Best I’ve seen in a while, I miss amazing $12 small venue shows. More please.
It may be true that you won’t find love in a hole, but how can you know for sure unless you perform an exhaustive search of all possible holes?
Just a thought.