Frightened Rabbit - Pedestrian Verse

Frightened Rabbit have never been mentioned on the blog, and there's a reason for that.

While I think the band are talented and have a good ear for a song, there's just something about them that falls short of grabbing my attention and hanging onto it.

As they aren't submitting anything for review I don't feel the need to write anything about them either.

For me to scribble something about a band then they either have to have sent me something to review and then I will feel obligated to give them a mention, or maybe I've bought their latest release and I'm impressed enough to sing their praises, or lastly that I have seen them live and they get named as part of the review.

So when it comes to Frightened Rabbit I would have to say that up until now I have never received anything to review, bought anything that bowled me over, or seen the band play live.

That's really covering it.

Now with Pedestrian Verse they have finally whispered in my ear, and after revisiting the album again and again I would have to say that........................it's okay.

Part of my reluctance to leave the damn thing alone was because lost of people who I share musical tastes with love the band.

So while I would have maybe let go of it after a week or so I kept listening to this one trying to hear in it what others do.

Maybe I'm still on the road though as now I can comfortably put it on and nod along to it, smile on occasions, pick up on a clever lyric and yes, I am enjoying it.

That's not the whole story though.

While I have reached beyond the point of failing to see what the fuss is I'm still far off from jumping in with both feet and proclaiming them to be some second coming.

I mentioned once that they sound like a Scottish Arcade Fire tribute band and I didn't see the need for one of them.

That was a comment that didn't go down that well as I quickly realised I was the lone dissenting voice in the company I was in.

You would have thought that I had just got a mates results in from the DNA test and had to deliver the news that he was adopted and his biological parents were in fact Fred and Rosemary West.

Every time since then when I have been asked about Frightened Rabbit I usually have to give an answer and add onto it 'but don't shoot the messenger'.

Now here I am damning them with faint praise again.

Aye. The allegedly best album they have ever released is fine.

It's as majestic as claimed, it has some damn fine songs on it, but right at this moment it's still not raising any hairs on my neck.

Maybe I will see them one day and they can make me eat my words.

I'm open for that.

Never say never.

It took me more than a decade for Jeff Buckley to click with me. Now I think the man was a genius.

So maybe in 2013 I'll be back to say 'do you know what? That frightened rabbit are no bad'.*

*No bad - The highest praise a Scotsman will ever give anything ever.