Frightened Rabbit
The Lexington, London
06/11/2009

The teeming rain is not enough to dissuade enthusiasts from gathering in an upstairs room in north London to see a band that are gathering pace, and indeed extra members.  The now five piece Frightened Rabbit are working out what they need from their onstage sound and sorting out the necessary rock star adornments. “I just got my first tattoo”, says frontman Scott Hutchison.

The boys from Selkirk may have been around since 2003 but in a way they’re still developing, as new jack-of-all-trades member Gordon “Gordie” Skene illustrates. Their songs build, repeated refrains gathering added texture and intensity until they either explode or reach a multi-layered zenith – and that’s when the benefit of the new recruit becomes obvious. Mandolin, guitar played with a violin bow and extra vocal harmonies, their music simply suits the bigger sound. Hutchison’s voice is big and passionate, although it’s possibly not nuanced enough to reach the quieter, subtler areas he occasionally reaches for. He’s best when loud, as are the band, including the moment at the end of the pre-encore set when drummer Grant Hutchison (Scott’s brother) plays on solo to a thunderous climax. His final, adrenalin-fuelled expression and pale complexion make him look like the Incredible Hulk after 10 vodkas, so it’s even more fun than it sounds.

A lot about this band is rough and raw, even the vocal harmonies sound more gruff than soothing. They’re getting to grips with their talent and they make a great noise, although it’s a tad lacking in dimensions. Being anthemic and grand is great, but it’s even better when you’ve worked out how to be delicate as well.  Frightened Rabbit are nearly there but not quite.

Martin Cordiner