Not too long ago there was a wave of dance-rock bands coming from New York that sounded cool but never pulled my attention like Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, so I tuned out most of that scene. Within the last few months I kept reading about this group, White Rabbits, and I didn’t pay them much attention until I heard they put our dance-rock that is a little darker and heavier with some inclination toward Phoenix and Spoon. Sometimes I wish I would check bands out sooner rather than later, you know what I mean, Avid Reader?
The parts that catch me on this album are the use of keyboards and the bass lines. Both do an excellent job of driving some of these songs along and the vocals often drift in out of nowhere to help drive you along. Granted, there were also plenty of dance riffs all over this album, and the vocals blended so well that it made for some great headphone music. Even the striking guitar was timed well and added to the mix.
Since I am not familiar with much of their previous material, some quick reading informs me that the album before this was produced by Spoon’s front man Brit Daniel, and some of his influence is apparent on this release as well. If you happen to enjoy Spoon then you’ll get a kick out of this album and have it on repeat in no time.
If you must sample before you buy: “Everyone Can’t Be Confused”, “Temporary”, “Heavy Metal”, “Back for More” and “It’s Frightening”. I would have overlooked this album and I’m glad that I took a minute to venture down the rabbit hole. There are times it is worth that extra second to read about an album or ask someone their humble opinion. More often than not you’ll be rewarded with something different that is worth your time and money.
