Frightened Rabbit: The Midnight Organ Fight

One of the unexpected dilemmas presented by this whole music blogging malarkey is thus: do I just write about ‘new’ music? Or can I write about absolutely anything at all? Ultimately, of course, there's no limit to the nonsense I can spout here, but surely some sort of editorial discipline should be exercised for the sake of readability. So, I propose an ungodly compromise: I'll limit myself to posting about stuff that's new to me.

Accidental discoveries and recommendations form a far greater part of my current listening time than genuinely new stuff - that's just how taste works. Plus it can sometimes take a record a little while to be ‘broken in’. Most of my latest favourite albums have been recommended to me by friends recently, but were actually released ages ago; such as Sad Songs for Dirty Lovers by The National, circa 2003, and Frightened Rabbit's The Midnight Organ Fight which I discovered this morning but was released all the way back in April by FatCat Records.

My late discovery of this album has really annoyed me, because I've only gone and compiled my Top 10 Albums of 2008 early, thus denying this spectacular record its deserved spot. Curses! Don't I feel silly now...

Coincidentally, this latest Frightened Rabbit album has been the topic of some heated debate on the Song, by Toad site (scroll down to the "comments" bit to see what I'm on about). Many are the detractors that claim the record sounds unforgivably like Snow Patrol. Which is almost true. Sure, there's epic-indie-high-register-guitar-pedals aplenty, and the voices are somewhat similar, but this records contains lyrics that Snow Patrol would never dare put on a record. It's a dirty, aggressive and confrontational album, and I love them for it. Poke is my new favourite song by miles.

Get yourselves a copy, if only for the uncommon and well-overdue satisfaction of seeing Bon Iver being knocked for six...