White Rabbits - It's Frightening (2010)

Review By Grant Joslin

With a line-up incorporating musicians who all at one point have been adept drummers in their own right or their own time, "It’s Frightening" has a buoyant and metronomic indie-rock tone that carries itself in an assured forward motion. 

Britt Daniel of Spoon not only produced "It’s Frightening", but oversaw the production as a mentor to White Rabbits while being the go-to-guy for all things needed in the studio, from songwriting particulars and direction to welcomed seals of approval which kept the band enthused and confident in their trajectory.

Considering the drumming expertise within the White Rabbits, the album is not altogether beat heavy, but more so it is the semi constant use of multiple instruments in unison for a percussive vibe. 

The majority of the ten tracks are continually moving onward and persistently twitching with an organic forward momentum.

Each layer of instruments, from the angular guitars to the lurching piano, have their own inherent inertia that keeps plodding and stamping along in straight lines all parallel to each other. 

It doesn’t really seem that the two resident and performing drummers are using full drum kits, more so acting purely as percussionists with minimal setups, creating a skeletal framework that’s minimal, stylish and far from being distracting or overwhelming within the mix.

Managing to vary their sound and pull back and let it all breathe, the six members of the band gladly keep from stepping on each other’s toes.

Employing the use of the added percussion and piano to drive the texture quite far away from standard rock-pop goings on, the vibe of the album could easy be described as dark, or you know, frightening… Though, it’s a little less gloomy than that. 

Keeping to the downbeat and altogether mellow ends of the sonic spectrum, while observing forceful melodies that are bright and never steer towards morose, it’s the bands marvelous energy and emotive dual vocal deliveries that preserve the overall energy and optimism.

Think The Black Heart Procession busting out multiple and varying cover versions of One By One All Day by The Shins after listening too much Spoon, or Amnesiac by Radiohead, on repeat for a day or two. 

White Rabbits don’t seem to be breaking too much new ground but are working incredibly well within their own borders of capability and influence.

RATING: 3 out of 5

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