Band:	White Rabbits
Album:	It's Frightening

Let’s say the year is 1998. Radiohead has just returned from touring behind their album “OK Computer”.  In this alternate 1998, a bizarro Radiohead decides they need to rediscover themselves, much like the real Radiohead. Except this time their soul searching results in the band saying “Fuck it. Why are we taking our music so seriously, lets do something a little more fun.” Instead of going electronic like they did on “Kid A”, they opt for more acoustic sounds and instruments.  They use a real piano instead of a synthesizer.  They use real drums and bass instead of manufactured beats.  This bizzaro album would have been strikingly similar to White Rabbits’ “It’s Frightening”.

It only takes approximately 15 seconds of “Percussion Gun” until you are hit right in the face with the Radiohead similarities. Gregory Roberts’ vocals are strikingly similar to Thom Yorke’s, even if they are slightly more upbeat. The steady percussion plays the same role as the sample drums did in “15 Step”, create a steady foundation for the vocals to freely flow on top. Then finally, once the guitar comes in at the chorus, the homage to “15 Step” is complete.

At this point, dismissing the album as just another Radiohead knock-off would be easy, but you would be doing yourself a disservice. Although the band does sound similar to Radiohead they have a very different ethos. Replace the near pretentious level of seriousness with a sense of fun and instrumentation that is free of cares. The playfulness of the piano and the bass on songs like “Percussion Gun” and “Lionesse” is almost joyful as they battle each other for control of the melody. The acoustic rhythm guitar plays a larger role in the percussion than it does in the melody, as each pick hit across the strings is emphasized more than the actual chords being played in a style similar to Celtic music.

All of this adds up to a strong rhythm section. The bass easily finds the pocket in the metronome like precision of the percussion. This builds a strong enough base for the piano and lead guitar to smoothly float on top with disregard for what is happening beneath. Listen to tracks like “Midnight and I” and “Rudie Falls” to hear the lead guitar loosely stroll behind the beat.

Where the album does fall short is the lack of diversity. Generally once you have heard one song on the album (other than maybe “Percussion Gun” or “Rudie Fails”), you have heard them all. Even though the band is known for their energy onstage, it doesn’t translate very well over a full length album. Most of the songs seem better suited to the live show, but with limited changes in tempo or dynamics, listening at home becomes dull. After several tracks I simply lost interest, and the metronome like percussion, that at first I found interesting, just became grating and boring.

I should cut the band some slack, comparing them to Radiohead is setting them up to fail. But the band invites the comparison, signing to TBD, Radiohead’s US label. If this is what would have happened to Radiohead in 1998, they certainly made the right decision. They have gone on to grow their genius and release numerous acclaimed records, but it is interesting to hear what would have happened if had they gone in a different direction.

White Rabbits Official Site
White Rabbits on MySpace
White Rabbits - “It’s Frightening” on Amazon

Release Date: May 19th, 2009

“It’s Frightening” - Tracklist
(* recommended tracks)

1. Percussion Gun*
2. Rudie Fails*
3. They Done Wrong/We Done Wrong
4. Lionesse
5. Company I Keep
6. The Salesmen (Tramp Life)
7. Midnight and I
8. Right Where They Left
9. The Lady Vanishes
10. Leave it at the Door

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