An Horse - Walls

Mon 20th Jun, 2011 in Music Reviews

Brisbane band, An Horse have aimed for a huge sound on their new album Walls. Singer and guitarist Kate Cooper and drummer and backup vocalist Damon Cox may be short on other band members, but their music easily fills up records and Walls is filled with relentless energy. There isn’t a huge leap forward in evolution from their last album, but that’s not to say this album is mediocre. Walls is a fun record that dresses up some serious tones with a fun rock vibe, and all the way through it never fails to please.

Dressed Sharply opens the record and straight away you feel you’re out amongst the nightlife on a Saturday night with your mates. The night is still young and everyone is eager to have a crazy time together, so not a bad way to start to the album. Cooper blasts the guitar with expert rhythm and Cox beats at his kit with a practised fury. The band remains tight and rehearsed in their second album. Not Mine showcases Cooper and Cox’s lyric-writing ability with some poetry creeping in with the dark verses. Cooper softly sings, “that’s enough Twin Peaks tonight” and “…there’s something growing in my heart that’s black, as black as the sky on a moonless night.” Airport Death is short and sweet. The furious tale of someone at the airport afraid to board the plane is complemented by a indie-pop guitar part and catchy chorus.

An Horse song’s are a great selection the fun and the emotion-fueled tales about serious issues young adults face. Know This, We’ve Noticed is light on details, but the chorus sums it up with shifting time signature adding weight to the emotive singing. Trains and Tracks is an obvious highlight on the album – it has a meaty rhythm guitar part and a fast pace that sees the world blur at the sides while you race through the song. The band constructs perfect riffs and rhythms for indie pop songs.

Walls switches gears to an acoustic guitar, and bring in some glockenspiel tones and a vocal part that lets Cooper stretch her range a bit more. She hasn’t the most amazing voice, but the band pair it with touching harmonies. Sure, she’s no Adele, but she’s got a great rock singing style. Swallow the Sea is a bit darker than any of the other songs. Utilising a warmer guitar part, the lyrics talk about drowning and being trapped where the only sense of freedom is holes and cracks in the surrounding walls. There’s something alluring about this song, a sense of an adventure that has gone wrong and you feel the need to cheer the characters to freedom.

Relationships being built up and torn down are a key theme in this album. This comes to a head in Tiny Skeletons, where one character grows steadily resentful of the other. It’s the last example of An Horse showing their sincere talent for songwriting, and fusing it with their youthful rock energy. An Horse are proving to have their fair share of talent, and one would hope we see more of this on a third album.