Shrag - Rabbit Kids/ Erratic Fictions

Fresh from their tour with the Cribs, and inclusion on the Rough trade Indiepop 2009 album, Brighton-based SHRAG release their 6th single, and first new material since their acclaimed debut album. "Rabbit Kids", due out in December, is another fine chance to get acquainted with the band's charms. The oblique title and muffled production again suggest the early DIY movement. The surging boy-girl chorus and exposed nerves could almost entice you to visit MySpace again. We don't hear the full story, but the scene is one of painful departure: "Why don't you just stay?/ It's hard to see you fall apart that way." Little details-- "The hand in palm/ The coral dawn"-- help what sounds like personal heartache resonate for a wider world. It doesn't hurt that the song is bright, scrappy, and exuberantly melodic enough to rank alongside tracks by Love Is All, the Long Blondes, or early Los Campesinos!.

 

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