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Painting of a Panic Attack Image
Metascore
70

Generally favorable reviews - based on 20 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
7.7

Generally favorable reviews- based on 25 Ratings

  • Summary: The fifth full-length release for the Scottish indie rock band was produced by The National's Aaron Dessner.
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Top Track

Get Out
I'm in the arch of the church, between her thumb and her forefinger I'm a worshipper A zealot king, cursed, a devotee of the heady golden dance she... See the rest of the song lyrics
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 20
  2. Negative: 0 out of 20
  1. Apr 14, 2016
    85
    This is still the Frightened Rabbit we all know and love, as gloomy as we last heard from them.
  2. Apr 6, 2016
    80
    It [Die Like A Rich Boy] is a poignant conclusion to what often feels like a cathartic record; one that will take you on a wonderful rollercoaster of emotional highs and lows.
  3. Apr 22, 2016
    80
    The scruffy Scots have taken a more polite approach with this one, but Hutchison’s ability to touch the listener’s nerves hasn’t suffered and the result is musically uplifting; a well-crafted testament to the band’s song-writing abilities.
  4. Mar 29, 2016
    75
    Painting Of a Panic Attack, while not their best release musically, may well be their most emotionally mature.
  5. Q Magazine
    May 5, 2016
    60
    Only Break's lapse into unreconstructed arena-rock strikes a jarring note. [Jul 2016, p.107]
  6. Apr 11, 2016
    60
    What’s missing from Panic is some kind of levity or the cutting humor that once personalized Hutchison’s self-loathing.
  7. Sep 30, 2016
    40
    Less swelling, more sand pits, the moments of crescendo here are few and far between.

See all 20 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 2
  2. Negative: 0 out of 2
  1. Apr 23, 2016
    9
    Feels a bit softer than past releases, but it sounds great. Growing on me with each new listen. "Get Out" "Woke Up Hurting" You canFeels a bit softer than past releases, but it sounds great. Growing on me with each new listen. "Get Out" "Woke Up Hurting" You can definitely feel Aaron Dessner of The National's influence as producer. Notably on the drums. Expand
  2. 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 distinctI 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.
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