Frightened Rabbit - State Hospital

“We’ve definitely darkened our corners a little with this EP,’ says Frightened Rabbit’s Scott Hutchison, of ‘State Hospital’. He’s right. And it suits them. The band have always been laced with a familiar sadness, but this EP, made up of offcuts from their forthcoming album, builds on the doom and gloom in both tone and theme.

The title track, which will feature on the long player, is exemplary of the solemn maturity the Selkirk band has acquired. Charting the tale of patients “born into a grave”, the narrative is as haunting as the soaring melodies. Some of the EP’s tracks are simpler in form and delivery than previous work and the exuberance which made Frightened Rabbit stand out from the crowd is sacrificed for moroseness, which may not be to everyone’s taste.

This is an album’s cutting room floor yet each song still retains Hutchison’s instantly recognisable Scottish drawl, infectious hooks and intelligent lyrics. ‘Boxing Night’ and ‘Home From War’ both paint miserable pictures in an accessible manner – but, it’s Frightened Rabbits more subtle approach which brings out their best, a subtlety not entirely on display here, but one which will surely reappear when given an album to show off their worth. Scottish musical stalwart Aidan Moffat lends his weight on ‘Wedding Gloves’, a glowing indictment of the band’s growth.