Frightened Rabbit – Painting of a Panic Attack

The windswept moors & islands of Scotland have always lent themselves to noble tragedy, to say nothing of the nation’s history and weather. Frightened Rabbit have been mining that tragedy for years now, but in a way both intimate and epic. That continues with the strong Painting of a Panic Attack.

Everything about Painting feels like an elegy after tragedy, even the echoing opener “Death Dream”. Frightened Rabbit can play it straightforward like on the grand “An Otherwise Disappointing Life”, or the close-up closer “Die Like a Rich Boy”. Even when they’re brighter, such as with “Woke Up Hurting”, it’s still wistful. And singer Scott Hutchison’s brogue gives a perfect accent to post-drunk “I Wish I Was Sober”.

Admittedly, Painting of a Panic Attack doesn’t exactly tread new ground for Frightened Rabbit (or Scotland), but it is a powerful distillation of the band – and the nation.