When you look at the list of the more successful 'indie' debuts that have graced the British charts of late, bands like The Kooks, The View and Hard-Fi are aplenty. In other words bands that are fairly...umm...poor, shall we say, seem to make it big with, it seems, no trouble at all. I think it’s fair to say that Fort Nightly by White Rabbits eclipses the aforementioned debuts by some distance but will it get comparable success? I doubt it. It is a shame too, because this is a record that is considerably more worthy of the mass market's attention.The opening two-pronged attack of 'Kid On My Shoulders' and 'The Plot' is a cracking start, with energetic foot-tapping baselines, brilliant fragmented drumming and harmonious choral chanting making you wonder if this is actually a band reaching their peak on a third or fourth album. The reason the drumming may sound a bit different is because White Rabbits utilize two permanent drummers, which could be a little extravagant but ultimately plays a big part in their sound. The quintet from New York also have a resident piano player to top it off, so you know this isn't a standard setup.White Rabbits don’t produce your run of the mill sound either as calypso/Caribbean influences runs through this album, so much so that you can see them performing 'Navy Wives' and 'I Used to Complain Now I Don't' in outrageous floral shirts and grass skirts. The latter track benefiting from rhythms that wouldn't be out of place at a Carnival. Meanwhile, 'March of the Camels' has the sort of vocal scrawl that draws heavily on The Specials and becomes a dark highlight because of it.It has been a year since this album came out in America so the band themselves may be growing tired of living with the same old songs. But, I’m sure they won’t mind being picked up by the legendary Fierce Panda label and extending their promotional rollercoaster. This has included high-profile tours with Kaiser Chiefs and The Cribs, which will have done them no harm at all. Who knows, the great British public, ruled by the all knowing Radio One playlist, could someday wake up and rejoice in music such as this, which for a debut is pretty damn impressive. 82%Links White Rabbits [official site] [myspace]