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White Rabbits: Fort Nightly

07th March 2008 | by Aidan Williamson

The Modus Operandi of NY's White Rabbits is remarkably similar to CPR. First they find the pulse, then they breathe life into the simple beat before applying the defibrillators and blasting it through the wall.

"Fort Nightly's" sound lives in an alternate reality where the propulsive beats of Liars debut is married to the dark and dank underbelly of their recent works, happily losing the wilful obstinance and pretentiousness along the way. The left side of the piano is explored as never before whilst a variety of exotic rhythms and swing beats bounce around the room.

Opener "Kid on My Shoulders" for instance, has the beat and mantra that belongs to a limbo competition before gaining enough steam to blow a gasket. When the vocal line 'One day we'll laugh about it' comes around, you get the sinking feeling that they mean the day that you're rowing across the River Styx together.

"Navy Wives" brings in a ska element (of all things) which grabs the baton from a piano/guitar duo. All the time focused by cascading piano lines and the smacking of an array of wood blocks.

One major thing grabs the attention throughout "Fort Nightly" is the bands ability to rip a dimensional vortex underneath themselves, sending the soundwaves hurling into space, light-years away, before vibrating back with the power of six thousand reverbed, overdriven and amped up speakers. It's certainly clear by the experimentation and precise musicianship that every one of the six members is squarely placing their full investment into the mix.

"March of the Camels" could be a level-crossing warning siren coupled with the demented wailing of an orchestra of castrated monks. Yet somehow, it still comes out shining brightly on the other side. As the "Reprise" kicks in - shifting back into the bowels of a speakeasy before jetting back for a conclusion of celebratory hijinx - it's eminently clear that White Rabbits are a band with their eyes to the heavens and their hearts in an abyss. Even though they occasionally suffer from repetitive strain injury, they're certainly worth following through the looking glass.

Rating:  7 / 10