Music > Album Reviews

The Rabbitts - Love

29/06/23

The Norwich based duos sophomore album spreads love and wonder across a beautiful palette of sounds and harmonies.

The age old second album syndrome is certainly something Odhran and Lucy aka The Rabbitts have had to worry about. ‘Love’ is a record that takes you on a blissful journey through the eleven songs it contains.

Recorded in a converted chapel in the North Norfolk countryside last August with engineer Adam Bowers, this collection of tracks will move and comfort you in equal measure.

Opening with the title track you immediately get welcomed with warmth and beauty. The vocals and passionate harmonies from Lucy and Odhran work so incredibly wonderfully together. To say they complement each other would be a massive understatement. The musicianship is equally significant and impressive too, complimenting the voices perfectly.

‘Day Like Today’ has an intro to die for, there’s a real feel of joy on this song, it’ll lift you up and it reminds me of some of the best work by ‘This Is The Kit’ my daughter has already picked out the guitar/mandolin hook for her to practise and to perfect, that’s as big a compliment as I you could get!

‘Pull Me Close’ does exactly what the title says, it pulls you in, takes you on a wonderful journey of yearning for love “If you fall asleep in my arms / Pull me close / And please stay with me until the end”

‘Sycamore’ sounds like a song early R.E.M could have recorded, had you told me Peter Buck had been involved in the recording I would have absolutely believed you. There’s a real subtle beauty to The Rabbitts work that comes across in every song but here we get everything that’s truly amazing about the band. The shifting landscape through the four minutes duration, the dual vocals falling into each other, such glorious sounds to adore.

‘This Machine’ has some of the most beautiful musicianship I’ve heard in a long time and ‘Rise’ is not only equally as impressive but elevates the audience to an even higher sense of consciousness. The joy that permits from this collection of songs is huge and this track in particular takes that leap forward massively. Reminding me of the best work that could come from Mexican guitar duo Rodrigo y Gabriela, it soars and shines.

‘Love’ took two weeks to record in what the band have described to me as “an incredible and immersive experience” this really come across on the music that fills the room from the stereo.

Closing with ‘Metal’ a dreamy, atmospheric and intimate song, dreaming of the sun and your arms and a final, glorious flourish that builds into a gorgeous crescendo ‘Love’ ends how it began, with hope and wonderment.

We have a lot of fine musicians in this fine city of ours and I’m so pleased to say that The Rabbitts are amongst the best of them. Put this album on and unwind, it’ll truly make your day or night.

10/10