Review Summary: Expect the unexpected. Or don’t. Whatever.
Over the last eight years, Horse Lords have certainly achieved mastery over
something. What that
something is, however, is rather difficult to pin down. With a plethora of polyrhythms, a preference for atonality and an eagerness to subvert expectations, the band tick a lot of the usual ‘experimental rock’ boxes; and yet that cumbersome label doesn’t quite give their particular
something the justice it deserves. Four years ago, the DIY-rock ensemble cooked up an eccentric series of noisy, hypnotising jams on ‘Interventions’: a dense, uncompromising collection of jazz-fusion, spliced together with glitchy ambient sections and played with a furious sense of urgency. It was a challenging, brilliant, mind-melter of a record; equal parts warm psychedelica and chilling electronica. On ‘The Common Task’, the guys toy around with similar ideas whilst toning things down just a smidge. More accessible whilst still maintaining that elusive
something, it’s an excellent addition to their growing catalogue of colourful, genre-bending music.
Much like their last full-length, Horse Lords’ 2020 release revolves around a series of minimalistic grooves. These act as focal points within each song, providing a reassuring constant as a barrage of syncopated drums and dissonant, microtonal guitars bring the rest of the world crashing down around them. The contrast lends itself to tense, hypnotic compositions, of which this LP has its fair share (look no further than the 19-minute epic ‘Integral Accident’). Here, however, the guys occasionally abandon these foundational grooves with a readiness not seen on their previous releases, dismantling and reshaping these to suit their needs. As a result, the ‘wall of noise’ approach found on ‘Interventions’ crumbles in favour of a more spacious attitude to song-craft.
With this extra room to breathe, the Horse Lords thrive. Songs run precariously along the line between composition and improvisation, open-textured melodies washing over one another amidst ceaseless percussive clamouring. A restless sense of adventure bubbles beneath each boisterous drum fill, with each burgeoning tune pushing the boat out further and further in order to explore new territory. Saxophone, bagpipes and accordion(?) casually waltz in and out of the mix as they please, without so much as a ‘hi there’ or ‘nice place you got here’. It’s astonishing that these mismatched components fit together at all. Yet, somehow, they do (and quite seamlessly, might I add). Heck, some sections of ‘Against Gravity’ are downright danceable, even as wailing horns and gnashing guitars tear the song in different directions.
This ability to blend the absurd with the insane into something genuinely listenable is what makes the Baltimore quartet such an exciting act to follow. With the explosion of online music platforms and an increased ease with which music can be shared, avant-garde rock records can feel like a dime a dozen. But a record that innovates without alienating; one that shakes the foundations and brings
something new to the table that just about anyone can appreciate? Now that’s exciting.
