White Rabbits Albums (2)
What The Critics Say
White Rabbits played "honky tonk calypso" on their much-loved debut Fort Nightly, but they go in a significantly different direction on It's Frightening. Fort Nightly sounded like it could've been recorded in a speakeasy, and while its jaggedly catchy songs called to mind kindred spirits like Cold War Kids and the Walkmen, White Rabbits staked their own claim in this familiar yet off-the-beaten-path territory. For It's Frightening, the band recruited Spoon's Britt Daniel to produce, and the results sound ... a lot like a Spoon album. It's Frightening is far more focused and streamlined than its predecessor, with reverberating pianos and the occasional guitar, alternately raspy and falsetto vocals, and the kind of striking sound design contrasts that typify Daniel's own band. While this style fits Spoon perfectly, it doesn't always work for White Rabbits. It's Frightening gets off to a strong start, with the aptly named "Percussion Gun" bursting in on Adam Ant-style Burundi Beats that make the most of the album's roomy sound. "Rudie Fails" is even more direct, its carefully arranged layers taking nothing away from the charge of its pianos and Greg Roberts and Stephen Patterson's dueling vocals. Best of all is the low-slung "They Done Wrong/We Done Wrong," which keeps the momentum of the previous two songs but takes it on a winding journey through light and shadow (which is echoed later by "Right Where They Left You"). However, as It's Frightening unfolds, it feels like White Rabbits and Daniel may have trimmed away too many of Fort Nightly's rough edges; while none of these songs are bad, many of them aren't immediately distinctive, especially when compared to the charming hodge-podge of the Rabbits' debut. At times, the surroundings of these songs are more attention-getting than the meat of the music; "The Company I Keep" is undeniably pretty, but most notable for the way the band's playing locks together and drifts apart unexpectedly. It's Frightening's more atmospheric moments are some of its most satisfying: the abstract "Lionesse" has little to get in the way of its spy/horror film theme pianos, while "Leave It at the Door" closes the album with a comforting blur of piano, flute, and hushed vocals. It's Frightening is far from a bad album, but this collaboration between a formerly kitchen-sink band and a meticulous producer doesn't always show the music off to its finest. ~ Heather Phares, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Vague recollections of a surreal 1940s movie scene eddy up. Six musicians enter a room, take their seats, and begin to play...six different pieces of music. They stop, look at each other, nod, and begin playing again...all different songs. They exchange sheet music, but cacophony still ensues. The memory is dim, but the White Rabbits bring it vividly to life with their strange but brilliant Fort Nightly album. The sextet sashay in with the Latin-flavored "Kid on My Shoulders," a track infused with a '50s feel, yet with a dark and dangerous atmosphere that evokes the Specials, and lyrics that put even Terry Hall's most obscure ones to shame. "March of the Camels" conjures that band's specter even more strongly with its oppressive atmosphere, solid reggae bassline, and eerie cries which echo of "Ghost Town." In contrast, "Dinner Party" sets a table for the Fun Boy 3 with its rhythm-heavy arrangement. And like the Fun Boy 3, it's the Rabbits' rhythms that are the driving force of the band's sound. Many of them are jazz or big-band inspired, but not exclusively, as the martial drums that power "Take a Walk Around the Table" or the Afro-beats that patter across "I Used to Complain Now I Don't" illustrate. But the big, bold beats are often juxtaposed against champagne-styled piano, which in "Complain"'s case slides slyly into ragtime. If Liberace joined a swing band, and enlisted a guitarist addicted to eclecticism (Western, surf-flecked, and C&W included), it might sound a bit like this. Yet somehow, the White Rabbits pull this surreal set straight out of the hat, because for all its fractured elements, the group still magically conjure up coherent, complete songs. As lyrically eclectic and clever as it is musically, this is one fascinating album. As unique an experience as the Fun Boy 3's eponymous debut was in its day, and just as mesmerizing. ~ Jo-Ann Greene, All Music Guide
