The Winter of Mixed Drinks by Frightened Rabbit

 

We were blown away by Frightened Rabbit’s 2008 album The Midnight Organ Fight, and the band quickly became a touchstone and favorite among us. When The Winter of Mixed Drinks was released in March, our expectations were high and happily this album delivers. Mixed Drinks is loosely a narrative album. Our sense is that the protagonist is at a low ebb, in severe emotional turmoil, and takes a trip to the ocean to experience a sort of rebirth and reaffirmation of life. Big stuff, this, and Frightened Rabbit’s dramatic, joyous, intense playing drive it all home effectively.

 

As always, much of the focal point is singer Scott Hutchison’s beautiful and plaintive voice, but the band backs him with an intensity—including gorgeous vocal harmonies—that is at once anthemic and intimate, a superb balancing act in full display during their sweat-drenched set at Pearl St in May. Listen to the epic introduction on “Skip the Youth” that reaches a dizzying and noisy crescendo before cutting to Hutchison’s voice over a quiet guitar and piano figure that is quickly joined by the other instruments before finally introducing the beat three minutes in. Listen to the wonderful bass riff and vocal interplay in “The Wrestle.” Listen to the cathartic release of “Nothing Like You” with its heavier guitar riffs and breathless pace. And see if you can keep yourself from pogoing to “Living in Colour” when the band launches into its propulsive beat. Bottom line: these are great songs, performed and recorded with bright, epic arrangements.

 

We've only seen this on a few end-of-year lists but it was very much greeted with widespread critical acclaim upon its release. We were just talking last night about the fact that a band like Mumford & Sons owes a lot to Frightened Rabbit, and those who have already found the former should really check out the latter. This album is filled with songs to sing along to, songs to have your heart broken to, and songs to fuel your optimism. Fittingly, the album ends with our protagonist ready to rejoin his life already in progress. “Why change if you can’t go back?” sings Hutchison on "Yes, I Would." And when the song and album ends, you feel ready to do just that.