Musical Musings: Painting Of A Panic Attack, Review

Three years after releasing their triumphant Pedestrian Verse Frightened Rabbit have finally given us Painting of a Panic Attack - their newest album which shows a smooth progression musically without forgetting what it is their fans love about their songs.

In an interview Scott Hutchinson has described the album as a more "pensive listen" and this is definitely true. The album opens with Death Dream, a haunting song that describes dreaming about the suicide of a loved one which sets the tone pretty well for what's to come.

Aaron Dessner of The National produced Painting of a Panic Attack and I think you can sense the new input. Rather than being all guitars and raw vocals the songs are more "musical" - the songs feel smoother and there's more synth and electric elements, more layered instruments and sounds to go alongside the recognisable lyric style.

As is bound to happen when a band do something so different to their old material I wasn't convinced at first. Scott describes the album as "Less cacophonous bluster and more beauty" and to be honest, I kind of miss the cacophonous bluster. I miss the focus on guitars and Scott's vocals, I miss the raw Scottish elements the songs have.


That's not to say I don't like Painting of a Panic Attack. In the past I've always loved their brutally honest lyrics in songs like Poke and Backwards Walk and I think despite progressing so much in their musical style Scott's remained true to this element. Songs like Get Out, I Wish I Was Sober and Woke Up Hurting showcase some gorgeous lyrics, they're just presented a little differently to past offerings - this album is more urban, almost "industrial" sounding (especially obvious on Lump Street.)

It's undeniable the album is beautiful in a melancholy way and it's a great achievement. I don't think the songs on it will surpass my love for those on The Midnight Organ Fight and Pedestrian Verse but that'd be tough to do in any case.

From Sing the Greys (their first album) onwards you can trace a clear progression as they perfected this style of music culminating in Pedestrian Verse. And so really it's to be expected they were going to swerve away from this and take the progression in a completely new direction. By the time we reach the final song on the album, Die Like a Rich Boy, a soft acoustic number most reminiscent of past material, we're reminded of how much the band have moved on yet managed to remain true at their core to what Frightened Rabbit are all about.

Painting of a Panic Attack is available in all the usual spots so I'd highly recommend you give it a listen. And if you've never listened to Frightened Rabbit before why not dedicate some more time to working your way through all of their albums, you won't regret it.

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