It’s Frightening

This second album from the Brooklyn six-piece is a mixed affair, veering from thoughtfully engaging lyrics of some songs to the bland, dreary moan that emerges from others. Armed with two drummers and three vocalists, It’s Frightening suffers mostly from a glib indecisiveness on how to build on the foundations of their palatable 2007 debut record Fort Nightly.

It strives to be unpretentious whilst hoping to challenge listeners expectations, yet achieves neither and, just as some tracks get going, they taper off like a shy mouse retreating to its hole in the wall. The energy and bravado from the first record isn’t there on this record and ballads such as ‘Lionesse’ seem achingly self-conscious. Part of the problem is main vocalist Stephen Patterson’s indistinct drawls and chants, which is not helped by  the unimaginative lyrics and underwhelming rhythm section. It is as though some elements of the songwriting were done half-heartedly; many tracks give the impression of being hurriedly cobbled together for an A-level music coursework deadline.

That said, some tracks warrant a second listen – the nice chords of ‘Company I Keep’ and the Lydian melody on ‘The Lady Vanishes’, owing harmonies to the Stereophonics or Guillemots, but without the gusto.

It’s Frightening isn’t really that bad, but there’s little memorable to be found here; it’s more of a step sideways and than a step forwards, and certainly too underwhelming to be frightening enough in the current indie climate. – (2)

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