S. Rabbit - Pest Invited
Following the expressive and absorbing Kick, S. Rabbit released the similarly-themed Pest Invited on August the 30th, 2021. Featuring much of the same instrumentation, Pest Invited failed to differentiate itself from its superior predecessor, bar its immaculate artwork.
There are few tracks that stand strong on their own. Poison Slows You Down is enjoyably vibrant and cheery, despite its darker undertones. Rely is the ultimate S. Rabbit single; the perfect blend of melancholy, somber instrumentation, and charming melodies. Sequentially, Follow’s soundscape is busier, and as a result more engaging than the more stripped-back tracks. Perhaps the most distinguishable song, Take Up The Bodies borrows mostly from rock, while remaining in its folk roots; the result toe-tapping goodness.
Sadly, many of the remaining songs fail to make an impression. Since much of the instrumentation was introduced in previous efforts, there’s very little to differentiate between the songs. Each track follows the same structure, and sometimes the same chord progression. While consistently enjoyable, it’s safe and plain. It’s hardly worth breaking them down one-by-one.
Where Pest Invited truly faulters is in its lack of originality compared to S. Rabbit’s discography. To say most of these tracks’ sound like B-sides is unfair, as there is a noticeable increase in quality and execution, though they could have all sonically and stylistically fit on any previous S. Rabbit album. An album should not be a mere collection of singles, but a coherent piece of art. Lastly, on a subjective note, Pest Invited isn’t as emotionally expressive as previous works; one could say it feels forced, or perhaps not explored deep enough. Hopefully S. Rabbit will not only be more adventurous in her next effort, but spend more time refining and expanding upon her songs.
Average
Listen to it here:
S. Rabbit - Pest Invited
