The Midnight Organ Fight - Frightened Rabbit
Metascore
80 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 16 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 14 out of 16
  2. Negative: 0 out of 16
  1. Whether or not you choose to accept it, the FACT is that Scotland's own Hutchinson brothers have created a sweet and powerful collection of tunes with The Midnight Organ Fight.
  2. It's Hutchison's utterly believable desperation and frank lyrics that push the whole thing from good to great.
  3. Here there can be no snobbish derision and calls of 'selling out' or playing to the average man; in creating an album showcasing the very best of the band's talents they have created one so perfectly fit for, as Scott so vividly puts, "the soft, soft static" of popular radio.
  4. Their jangly melodies claw their way inside your brain just the same, making them latest in a long line of Glasgow bands to effortlessly combine celebratory sonics and miserablist lyrics into something singular.
  5. The album is singularly focused yet emotionally visceral, refining and sharpening the band's rousing sprawl.
  6. 80
    What might sound like a depressing work of angsty indulgence is in fact an uplifting record of angular alt-folk. [June 2008, p.108]
  7. Midnight Organ Fight more than delivers on its promise: tons of spiky energy, proper tunes and a real lyrical bite to the likes of The Modern Leper. [June 2008, p.149]
  8. This is the least fashionable album I have heard in ages, and all the better for it.
  9. 80
    The Midnight Organ Fight's bloodied-but-unbowed lyrics stand up to repeated listening even on the fastest cutes. [Summer 2008, p.106]
  10. There's a lot of beauty in The Midnight Organ Fight, but there's a bit of bloat as well. [Summer 2008]
  11. 70
    Amid such scene-upending sentiments, the band's all-too-Glaswegian moniker represents a clever case of bait and switch. [May 2008, p.98]
  12. Hutchison and his bandmates reward patience as well as repeated listens, and they deserve credit for unearthing a unique chunk of the Scottish heart, raised on equal parts American punk and traditional folk and bleeding beautifully.
  13. The Midnight Organ Fight is sharper, more polished, and better in parts than "Sing the Greys." There's only one unfortunate downside. This sharper, more polished effort displays fewer of the things that made the first album so enjoyable.
  14. The Midnight Organ Fight is cleaner, more polished, and establishes that the group is indeed maturing, but thankfully not losing themselves.
  15. 60
    The world-view is challenging and heart-felt, the playing deft, the conviction clear. [June 2008, p.88]
  16. Overwrought second album from Glaswegian indie quartet.
User Score

Universal acclaim- based on 40 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 21 out of 21
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 21
  3. Negative: 0 out of 21
  1. This is easily one of the, if not the, best album of the year. Modern Leper is up there with the best songs of the decade. The Scottish accent provides a wonderful change and if you're looking for a twist on indie/folk/alt. get this album, you won't regret it. Full Review »
  2. One of my favorite Indie albums of all time. Such a passionate album. Full of story telling and great lyrics. Perfect for a person who enjoys light/slow indie music. he lead singers voice is just beautiful and soothing. This album has gotten my through everything over the past years. It doesn't get old. It's nice Scottish indie music. Very beautiful in my opinion. Full Review »
  3. PaulB
    10
    Top Bombers. Ready your ears.