Pitchfork

Indie-poppers turned lighter-ready rockers Snow Patrol are from Glasgow, and cityfolk Frightened Rabbit sound like they've made their own, less dramatic transition. Frightened Rabbit debut Sing the Greys was "rough-edged, unpolished indie rock," in the words of Pitchfork's Brian Howe, but what we've heard so far from the trio's forthcoming sophomore album for FatCat-- dubbed The Midnight Organ Fight-- maintains its predecessor's unpretentious universality yet adds an un-scraggly grandiosity that was mostly absent from the debut. First single "Head Rolls Off" is swelling folk-rock based around rattling, U2-esque downstrums, humming organs, and surname-less frontman Scott's tremulous lead vocal, which calls to mind Van Morrison. "Jesus was just a Spanish boy's name," Scott begins-- a topic Iron & Wine explored in less anthemic fashion on 2003's The Sea and the Rhythm EP. The video for "Head Rolls Off" shows Frightened Rabbit performing in an elementary school classroom, their downcast faces offset by the sight of happy children jumping up and dancing. The clip ends with what appear to be the kids' drawings of the group, a cute touch that stays linked to the band's sweeter side even as the soaring music sounds likely to draw in listeners who might be deterred by the twee of fellow Glaswegians like Belle & Sebastian (or early Snow Patrol).

[from The Midnight Organ Fight; due 04/15/08 on FatCat]