Painting of a Panic Attack
by Frightened Rabbit
  • Record Label: Atlantic
  • Release Date: Apr 8, 2016
User Score
7.7

Generally favorable reviews- based on 25 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 20 out of 25
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 25
  3. Negative: 2 out of 25
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  1. Duke_Challenger
    Apr 17, 2016
    4
    I really love The Midnight Organ Fight (9.5/10), Pedestrian Verse (9.5/10), and The Winter of Mixed Drinks (8.5/10). All albums feel distinct lyrically and musically. After 3 great albums and a decent side-project for Scott Hutchison (Owl John), the band has stopped making instrumentally pleasing songs. Scott's lyrics are still really good. However, I did not find a single song on here toI really love The Midnight Organ Fight (9.5/10), Pedestrian Verse (9.5/10), and The Winter of Mixed Drinks (8.5/10). All albums feel distinct lyrically and musically. After 3 great albums and a decent side-project for Scott Hutchison (Owl John), the band has stopped making instrumentally pleasing songs. Scott's lyrics are still really good. However, I did not find a single song on here to be interesting. A lot of them are actually really slow too.

    The music almost sounds like The National which is no coincidence since their guitarist/primary songwriter helped produce the album. I believe Boxer by The National is a perfect album, but their following albums have all sounded the same and uninspired. So in hiring a songwriter who writes the same music over and over again, you are probably not looking to be pushed as a band to create something unique.

    However, it could be that Frightened Rabbit has just lost the creative spark like every band eventually does. Overall, I am really disappointed.    … Expand

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
70

Generally favorable reviews - based on 20 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 20
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 20
  3. Negative: 0 out of 20
  1. Austin Chronicle
    Sep 30, 2016
    40
    Less swelling, more sand pits, the moments of crescendo here are few and far between.
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  2. Q Magazine
    May 5, 2016
    60
    Only Break's lapse into unreconstructed arena-rock strikes a jarring note. [Jul 2016, p.107]
  3. PopMatters
    May 4, 2016
    70
    Painting of a Panic Attack is Frightened Rabbit dressed up as The National for Halloween. It’s a nice change, but still very much the band fans have come to love.
    Read full review
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