Horsell Common - TheRescue

Thu 7th Feb, 2008 in Music Reviews

Melbourne three piece band Horsell Common released their first full length album titled The Rescue back in September 29th 2007. The U.S producer on this album Stephen Haigler has previously worked with cult icons the Pixies and a favourite band of mine Brand New. While these fellow Melbournites have toured extensively and played a number of support gigs my first real listen came after I saw a pre-album video clip on Rage one night. The track Good from afar really grabbed my attention with its energy and got me really looked forward to the full album. After a lot of solid listens I can definitely say it has met my expectations and will be sure to please those into rock or punk music. Now for a little track by track rundown.

Good From Afar: What a great way to start off the album. A soft twanging of guitar strings then the drum beats smash right into the rock. A catchy chorus and addictive guitar hooks make this a ripper track. I’m a sucker for any song with “Hey hey’s” throw in and there’s also a great musical breakdown midway. As the lyrics say “Breakdown popularity contest” is what this song is about and all those fashion victims should take note. This is actually my favorite song off the album, but unlike some releases, the first track isn’t the only good one and is a taste of things to come. 10/10

Bruise Easy: Another great track with a fine guitar riff and double pedal drum kickers throughout. The chorus is sure to stick in your head after a couple of listens which is great because it’s about how much they miss their Melbourne homes when they’re touring. 9/10

Automaton: This track brings down the vibe a little with melancholy vocals which sound like something from a Deftones album. However this suites the songs theme which is about someone resisting a change
in their personality through either fame or other circumstances, I’m not quite sure. It’s a bit lengthy at over 5 min but the presence of piano before the build up at the end lifts this song. 8/10

Help is on its way: The drum beat and well timed guitar work fit well with the aggressiveness of this song. I like the bitter lyrics on this song “All the qualities of a cancer, get back to work you amateur, you’ll never make a salesman”. I’ll have to remember this line next time someone tries to up size me at a fast food restaurant. 8/10

Sing the news: This is the first track that showcases the vocal ability of the lead singer Mark Stewart. A moving song about making the most of your time and creating a good mood on a bad day. Mark greatly vocalizing his frustration in the lines “Miss you all the same my alcohol”. This song sets the vibe for the rest of the album, with the remaining songs being slightly slower and mellower. 8/10

Annie if you’re listening: The first acoustic track off the album is much better than most of the rubbish from the last Foo Fighters album. The vocal depth is again presented well on this song, which has additional female vocals making it almost sound like a duet at some stages.This is my second favorite song off the album and has really grown on me after a lot of listens ( On my iPods most played song list its currently sitting at #25). 9/10

It’s Ok: If you’re not a fan of the previous acoustic track this one brings back the rock vibe. As with most of the songs off the album there’s a sense of frustration this time aimed at being stuck in a meaningless relationship. But as the title and lyrics say “It’s ok, it’s a resort, compared to what I had before:. 7/10

I’m Dead: Due to the slow guitar pacing this song takes a while to get used to, but by the end the track speeds up and the drum beats turns it into quite an epic. The presence of guest vocals by Stephen Christian from Anberlin is a pleasant surprise (They previously toured together). 7/10

The sound of breaking records: This song seems to be lacking the uniqueness of the previous tracks. By no means a bad song but there isn’t anything that particularly stands out on it. Nuff said. 6/10

Gone for the summer: Makes up for the last track with a nice drum section in the middle and a sound that will stick in your head. I think this song is about escaping the rest of the world possibly via drugs as indicated by the lines “We laugh so hard we almost die, everyone slips like a water slide”. 7/10

Surgery: A great roller coaster of a song to end the album on. Has a stable guitar riff at the start which highlights the vocal strength on this track. Really breaks into something special near the 3 min mark with the vocals soaring and then coming back down to finally end with a slow patter of drums. I could see this one really growing on me. 8/10

Overall Rating: 8/10

In wrapping up I would like to say that the first full length release from Horsell common has delivered the goods. After a few listen The Rescues great hooks and catchy verses are sure to be stuck in your head. While the first 4 tracks are rocking its great to see a bit of diversity in the later tunes which showcase the bands ability to write great songs. Slower songs like Annie if you’re listening and Sing the news also highlight the vocal range of the lead singer Mark and show he’s capable of covering more mature themes.

Additional Note: Unfortunately Horsell Common’s drummer Leigh Pengelly has recently announced he will be leaving the band after their current 35 show tour which will be concluding at the Corner Hotel on the 5th of April . However fear not as the band has been practicing with some replacement drummers and they have stated that “Horsell will never die!”