Album Review: Frightened Rabbit ‘Painting Of A Panic Attack’

Glaswegian 4-piece Frightened Rabbit are back with their fifth studio album ‘Painting Of A Panic Attack’. The new release is a massive improvement on the band’s 2010 and 2013 albums with more refined instrumentals and steadier, harder-hitting vocals.

‘Painting Of A Panic Attack’ is sure to be a treat for both long-time fans and new listeners. The tracks offer a lot of variety, delving into the crevices of alt-rock and alt-pop to create a roller coaster of emotion.

The album opens with Death Dream, a gentle and slow yet uplifting track. Dreamy, layered production builds throughout the song, and its ethereal sound is complemented by delicate backing vocals and heavy lyrics.

Lead single Get Out comes next with a moodier feel, delving a little further into the darkness that encompasses the whole album.

Lead single Get Out comes next with a moodier feel, delving a little further into the darkness that encompasses the whole album. Electronic beats and more synthesiser, making for heavier, more unusual percussions and an ominous tone overall. The real highlight of the song is the honesty in the lyrics.

Woke Up Hurting features sentimental lines like “I woke up hurting/ Though I can’t say why” and “If all these southern tales are true/ Plan for Heaven though Hell will do”. Though the lyrics aren’t exactly uplifting or positive, the quick tempo and complex percussion makes for a really upbeat track that’s only further complemented by the backing vocals.

Like many of Frightened Rabbit’s emotional songs, Painting Of A Panic Attack is a really cathartic piece. You can tell the album is full of emotion and darker vibes even from the track names – I Wish I Was Sober, Woke Up Hurting, and An Otherwise Disappointing Life. I Wish I Was Sober is a very honest, deep song, though the dark lyrical atmosphere is balanced by an upbeat tempo and plenty of synth.

The instrumentals coupled with Scott Hutchison’s vocals are the auditory equivalent of a flower garden.

The vocals throughout the album are higher and softer than the band’s previous work. They provide a much more delicate sound which really makes a lot of the tracks, especially Still Want To Be Here. The slow song embraces both gentle keyboard melodies and unusual percussion, making for a pretty weird but also really pretty song. The instrumentals coupled with Scott Hutchison’s vocals are the auditory equivalent of a flower garden.

The album finishes with Die Like A Rich Boy. This track is stripped back in comparison to the rest of the album and there’s not a lot going on instrumentally, but the modesty of the guitars and the clean vocals produce a really beautiful song. Keeping with the theme of the album, it’s a little gloomy with morose lyrics and a slow pace, but it’s still a song you can listen to over and over.

The alt-quartet really nailed this release, making the sort of album you can listen to from start to finish and find total contentment in.