For all my seemingly-encyclopedic knowledge of the musical landscape, I have a few glaring blind spots. There are musicians who have left indelible marks on the world that have left me unscathed. Bands with massive cult followings that I have ignored. Albums that have changed lives while I have moved on oblivious.

These omissions are numerous. But I get the notion that few are more glaring, foolish, and maybe even offensive than my ignorance of Frightened Rabbit, who for years has floated amorphously in a nebulous blob with the Mountain Goats, Mount Eerie, Lord Huron, and any other songwriter-heavy project with a full band name that my brain categorizes together because of their similar names.

But recently, a friend who is a fan learned of the Frightened-Rabbit-shaped hole in my heart and sought to fill it himself, ordering me a copy of their fourth record, Pedestrian Verse, which I gather is a dark horse fan favorite. And while it’s going to take time for me to absorb this record the way it’s meant to, it’s immediately apparent why the band is so beloved. Continue reading →