Frightened Rabbit is a Scottish band that steadily continues to impress, and their latest release, Pedestrian Verse, is no exception. At its core, it is a somewhat pedestrian release, in that it represents common people’s issues, problems, and experiences. What isn’t pedestrian is the composition on the whole– it’s a wonderful mix of multi-instrumentation that opens with the longest song, “Acts of Man,” which speaks of ways we treat one another in genuine and insincere ways. It’s one of those calls to action, where you find yourself guilty of small offenses and realize there’s reason to be better. Many songs lean into larger musicscapes, making the 5-piece come off as a mini-orchestral. What also finds its way onto the record is the title track last year’s EP offering State Hospital, which demonstrates clever writing, a story arc, expert percussion, a jangling guitar, and all parts coming together to bowl you over. “Woodpile” is another song that really makes something of the title’s metaphor– people forgotten and put in with the scraps and those people coming together to torch the woodpile. If you watch the video below, you’ll see how it relates to general treatment of human beings and how Frightened Rabbit wants us all to be a little less frightened in the world. This is certainly an inspirational album. Only time will tell if it gets the recognition it deserves.

Warning: Video has some depiction of violence, but with a message.