EMOTIVE, moving and deeply relatable, there’s a special bond between Frightened Rabbit and their fans which can’t be contrived or cultivated in any way other than organically.
Their music is something which encapsulates the full spectrum of human emotions, meaning that their adoring public gravitate towards their compositions, assigning their own distinct meanings and assimilating them as part of their lives.
Due to this incredible connection, the news of the band’s new record was met rapturously, causing the devoted listeners who’ve been with them through Sings The Greys all the way to Pedestrian Verse to collectively lose their minds.
Now that we’ve all gotten over the initial shock, it’s time to examine the facts and establish exactly what we know about their new album and what we can likely expect from its carefully guarded contents.
Officially announced via an extremely engrossing video which slowly saw the forthcoming album’s cover emerge from the fog, it informed those who hastily pressed play that the record entitled Painting Of A Panic Attack would be coming on the 8th April 2016.
Whilst this information was no doubt enough to send tremors of excitement up and down the viewer’s spine, it was its soundtrack which truly left us transfixed.
A haze of delicate piano, beautiful textures and the deeply affected yet instantly recognisable croon of frontman Scott Hutchison, there couldn’t have been a more suitable re-introduction to Frightened Rabbit than an excerpt which conveyed the band’s core strengths in such a clear and succinct manner.
Many would have doubtlessly assumed that this was a fleeting sojourn away from their self-imposed radio silence and that we’d be unlikely to hear more of what lies within for weeks to come. However, these thoughts were quickly dispelled when ‘Death Dream’; the track from which the clip was derived, made its way to our ears less than a day later.
Heartrending yet concise and bathed in an aura of serenity, ‘Death Dream’s full version was yet another soul-baring exercise in revealing one’s innermost feelings for the benefit of creativity. Crying out in anguish that “Even now, when asleep, I’ll tread with care”, the track echoes the anxiety-ridden sentiments of the record’s title and insinuates that perhaps there’s something of a loose concept surrounding the album. Whilst it may not be a literal ‘Painting Of A Portrait Attack’, it’s in no way far-fetched to think that a band with such emotional depth would be capable of conveying the inner conflict, constant stress and perpetually alert mind of an anxiety sufferer.
Taking us all by surprise, Frightened Rabbit wasted little time in unveiling ‘Get Out’, the first proper single from the album and one which noted a degree of musical progression.
Kicking off with an unexpected flurry of electronic percussion that is sure to have raised more than a few eyebrows due to their predilection for a more traditional, analogue take upon the world of music, ‘Get Out’ is one of the most outwardly flashy tracks to have appeared in the band’s repertoire. Detailing a rocky love affair that veers towards the obsessive, ‘Get Out’ is armed with not only some of the more heavy guitar licks that they’ve laid down on record, but a soaring, stadium-ready chorus that seems as though it’s destined to be mightily bellowed back at them in even bigger venues than before.
Could there be a degree of pressure from their monolithic label Atlantic Records to cater to a wider audience? Or is there perhaps other reasons behind such a sonic shift?
Given all of the relevant facts, it seems that the latter seems more likely.
Decamping to New York to record the album, one notable change in personnel which can’t be understated is the appearance of Aaron Dresner on production duties. A founding member of The National; a group which has had a profound impact on every member of Frightened Rabbit, the new album was recorded almost entirely at the New York based musician’s home base and saw them open themselves up to the ideas of an external force like they’d never done before.
Having worked with everyone from Mumford And Sons to Sharon Von Etten, This Is The Kit, Doveman and The Lone Bellow and more, this deviation from their traditional approach could very well be as a result of the lauded artist’s input.
In addition to this, Hutchison has previously remarked that the freedom and lawlessness that went into crafting his Owl John solo album has had an impact on the album’s sound and direction.
While the more collaborative process in which the band used to write Pedestrian Verse has been once again employed on Painting Of A Panic Attack, there’s also the added factor of a change in personnel, with live musician/guitar tech Simon Liddell of Glasgow’s Olympic Swimmers taking the place of the departing Gordon Skene on guitar.
While we’ll only be able to get a proper picture of what the album entails when it officially arrives in April, it’s safe to say that it’s likely that “Frabbit”are primed to deliver another stellar collection of tracks and may even surpass what’s been crafted before.
