Review Summary: I think I'll save suicide for another year
In today's music the expression of heartbreak is more often contrived than it is genuine. On the radio the songs about being heartbroken or a relationship ending often do not go past the choruses of "how could you do this to me?" or "how could I do this to you?" The sounds to these songs are even more overproduced and contrived as they sound like your typical radio ballad filled with soft verses and gigantic meaningless choruses. It seems like it has been a while since an artist has made an album that actually defines being heartbroken accurately, emotionally, and genuinely. An album that defines the end of the relationship and the being able to get over the person the relationship was with as a "process" instead of as a bunch of clichés. An album that is so honest and emotional that it is almost draining, an album that sounds so unique that it is almost borderline groundbreaking, an album that is led by a unique vocalist, and an album that is damn good while doing all of these things. With "The Midnight Organ Fight" Frightened Rabbit have finally created the honest and emotional album that we have always wanted to hear.
The first thing that makes this album special is Scott Hutchison ability to describe the heartbreak he is experiencing from the end of the relationship thoroughly, emotionally, and as a process of getting over someone instead of just having one "breakup song" in the middle of the album somewhere. Each song on the album describes a different emotion in almost vivid detail and that is one of the things that makes this album unique and special. On the epic opening song "The Modern Leper", Hutchison initially defines his heartbreak over the end of the relationship but then poetically wonders why the couple cannot get back together if they are the "perfect pair", in "I Feel Better" he denounces his former love saying that this is the "last song" he is going to write back together, on the albums best song "Good Arms Vs. Bad Arms" Hutchison elaborately describes "the war" that the old relationship presented but then concludes that he is still in love with the warrior, "The Twist" sees Hutchison unable to accept the one night stand style of single life as he would prefer to have someone who knows his name and who does not have to pretend to love him, "My Backwards Walk" is Hutchison's bold declaration that he is going to move on with his life, only to go back to the love that is the *** he is knee deep in, and finally "Floating In The Forth" is Hutchinson missing his love so much that he literally tries to drown in his sorrows until he finally concludes that his life would be better if he moved on and "saved suicide for another year." Hutchison and Frightened Rabbit do not do love the injustice of just describing it with one clichéd song in the middle of the album rather the band creates an album that could double as a narrative describing every single emotionally effect of heartbreak from regret to suicide. How genuine "Midnight Organ Fight" is cannot really be understated as it is heard in just about every heartbreaking melody of every jaw dropping song on this album. This albums narrative still and how it could easily be a soundtrack to a movie is more than original it is borderline groundbreaking.
Another thing that makes this album so unique in its pursuit of defining the process of being heartbroken is Hutchison's vocals. Hutchison does not have the conventional "American Idol" vocal style rather he has the voice of a whiny Scottish man. You would think this would be a roadblock to the album's potential greatness but instead it is one of the albums biggest strengths. Instead of this album sounding like a bunch of mainstream Katy Perry type songs Hutchison's "unique" voice allows the album to sound like the genuine and emotional narrative that it is intended to be. The album sounds like the story of the average Joe going through a devastating breakup instead of sounding like Mariah Carey trying to make a dance song out of her relationship with Nick Cannon. Hutchison's unconventional voice allows him to do things that other more polished singers could not replicate: the "do-do-do-do's" at the end of the brilliant "Poke" are something that sounds unique to his voice, the chorus in "Keep Yourself Warm" is sang in such a powerful and high falsetto that it is tough to imagine anyone else doing this voice but Hutchinson, and the powerful "Fast Blood" shows the extent of Hutchison's vocal range and it is a unique range that no one else really has. Hutchison's unconventional voice allows this album to be an epic and creative narrative instead of being just a bunch of depressing songs.
Another thing that makes this album the definite heartbreak album is that all of the songs are at least good and some of the songs are even instant classics. "The Modern Leper" is the perfect opener for the album and is highlighted by its breathtaking chorus, "Good Arms Vs. Bad Arms" is one of the best indie songs you're going to hear as the song itself is just flawless, "The Twist" is one of the more up tempo and catchy songs on the entire album, "My Backwards Walk" features some great song writing with even better instrumentation, "Poke" is the definitive ballad on an album where every song seems like it could ballad, and "Floating In The Forth" may not be the albums closer but it is the perfect last chapter to a heartbreaking and genius narrative. The rest of the songs on the album are at least "catchy" and are definitely a notch above good. What enables Frightened Rabbit to create the ultimate narrative about being heartbroken is the quality of songs throughout the album.
Love and heartbreak is never as contrived and as clichéd as the people on radio and television try to tell us it is. It is never as simple as one powerful chorus and a couple of mumbled voices. On "The Midnight Organ Fight" Frightened Rabbit recognize this and define the end of a relationship and the heartbreak that comes after it in a album that actually sounds like a narrative instead of a collection of random songs. The narrative that the lyrics, vocals, and instrumentation describe is groundbreaking and genuine. Kind of like love......
