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Written by Laura Hamlett Friday, 01 May 2009 03:21

The White Rabbits deserve to be proud of It's Frightening, a more than capable follow up to Fort Nightly.

I suppose the White Rabbits can be forgiven for taking a drum line nearly entirely from another song. After all, the original drumbeat is more than 20 years old, appearing on Ant's "Goody Two Shoes." After all, the White Rabbits weren't old enough to listen to such music back then. But surely someone on their production team would have made the connection?

Stolen riffs aside, the White Rabbits deserve to be proud of It's Frightening, a more than capable follow up to Fort Nightly, their extremely well-received 2007 debut. Sophomore slump it ain't. Following the uber-catchy first track "Percussion Gun"—home of the aforementioned drum line—are nine more songs in full display of what these bunnies are capable of. "Rudie Falls" keeps the energy high and the beats steady; up next, "They Done Wrong/We Done Wrong" takes a step back, bringing down the levels and showcasing Stephen Patterson's falsetto.

"Lionesse" appears to be an exercise in (what else?) percussion, this time restrained beneath piano and guitar. Pretty much the only line you need to learn is "Listen to me"; this one's not here to say so much as to impart a dark and brooding mood, which it does in spades. Following an intermission by way of three mellower numbers—"Company I Keep," "The Salesman (Tramp Life)" and "Midnight and I"(the latter with a rather foreboding piano line backing up Patterson's urging, "Get to sleep now")—the familiar percussion returns. "Right Where They Left" blends a steady drumbeat and wandering guitar beneath Patterson's flexible voice for that signature White Rabbits sound. This one's driving and relentless, everything a Rabbits song should be.

Following "The Lady Vanishes" and its blend of piano, beats and Patterson's signature indie-rock vocal delivery, disc closer "Leave It at the Door" is darker, dangerous. Though it's not one of the songs you're likely to put on "repeat," it's still a fitting end to the disc. Fixated on a deeply resonant piano, the song wraps up the album, pulling the parts together and tying them with a double knot.

If you've ever seen White Rabbits live, you know percussion is part of their schtick: they have two drummers who make lots of noise. Though some may call it overkill, I say it makes for richly pulsating material and a killer live show. And while Missouri can't claim them anymore, White Rabbits have crafted a second release that is still worthy of hometown pride. Chin chin, boys. A- | Laura Hamlett

RIYL: Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Wolf Parade, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah