Frightened Rabbit: The Winter of Mixed Drinks
Label: Fat Cat
To be honest, Scottish band Frightened Rabbit’s singer-songwriter Scott Hutchison does seem like the kind of raggedly emotional guy who’d turn himself into a hermit for his art — and that’s precisely what he did to write his band’s third LP, escaping to a small village on the Scottish coast. Backed by stormy walls of guitar, yelp-along choruses and foot-stomp percussion (from Scott’s brother Grant), Hutchison borrows the small-town/big-sea imagery of his refuge and dives headlong into consuming desperation and sublime angst (“Swim until you can’t see land!” goes one thrilling chorus). Not many bands can make self-doubt sound so triumphant and promising — it’s no wonder these guys’ fans are so rabidly dedicated. (Vinyl includes digital download.) (Abby)
