Glasgow-based indie rockers Frightened Rabbit may share the same predilection for fey monikers as their fellow Glaswegian pop idols Belle & Sebastian, but the twitchy trio's 2006 debut is miles away from twee. Employing the jerky, angular post-punk guitar attack of Wolf Parade, the high drama of Arcade Fire (without the giant orchestral arrangements and megaphones), the early melodic ruckus stirred up by the Shins, and the fresh-faced introspection of fellow countrymen King Creosote, Sing the Greys is both naïve and majestic. Led by brothers Grant and Scott Hutchinson, each track carries with it the kind of nervous intensity that only a big city like Glasgow can inject, fueling both fits of defiance ("Music Now," "Go-Go-Girls") and heartfelt nuance ("Be Less Rude," "Behave!") without sounding snotty or forced. There are quality road trips to be taken here, as evidenced by the epic "Square 9," with its insistent kick-drum melodic sweep, and the band never eclipses earnestness with commercial indie rock irony. Sing the Greys isn't a landmark album by any means, but it's got all of the ingredients for a follow-up that kicks the door open instead of pushing it just enough to get a good look.
© James Christopher Monger /TiVo