 | Tracklist:
01 - Dressed Sharply
02 - Not Mine
03 - Airport Death
04 - Know This, We've Noticed
05 - Trains And Tracks
06 - Walls
07 - Brain On A Table
08 - 100 Whales
09 - Leave Me
10 - Windows In The City
11 - Swallow The Sea
12 - Tiny Skeletons
Release Date: 04/22/2011 | |
|
On 2 Lists
|
| Summary: A distant love makes for Australia's front-running album of the year contender. |
2 of 2 thought this review was well written
In “Camp Out,” the opening song from An Horse's 2009 debut Rearrange Beds, vocalist/guitarist Kate Cooper boldly announced that “This is a song for the one that I love.” She then confessed “I haven't met them yet, but I'm quietly confident.” In the time between that album and this one, it certainly seems that Cooper has met the individual sought out in the song. Not everything seems to have gone as planned, however, as is quickly established in Walls. This is an album about distance, loss and frustration – in other words, the aspects of a soured relationship most wouldn't want you to see. It's a confronting and honest portrayal - and it's also quite possibly the best thing the two members of An Horse have recorded yet under any guise.
The set-up remains the same within the band since their formation – Cooper plays guitar and sings; while Damon Cox drums and adds backing vocals. Interestingly, this is a two-piece that has not evolved out of the bluesy garage rock revivalism that spawned your White Stripes or your Black Keys. Rather, the band mix aspects of shoegaze and post-punk into their minimalist sound, with a nod to indie rock in both past and present formations. Perhaps what's best about the two is how well their instruments correspond with one another. As Cooper's guitar crunches and slip-slides in “Dressed Sharply,” Cox will boom-thwack his way through a tom-driven four-on-the-floor. Meanwhile, Cox's tumbling rapid-fire snare in “Leave Me” is complemented by Kate's dissonant guitar jangle, breathlessly keeping up with the punchy pace of the track. The duo have been playing together long enough to know exactly how the other works, and it's this chemistry that keeps you consistently engaged with the album. A perceived lack of diversity within the band's sound soon becomes irrelevant.
It's Cooper's lyrics on the album that are perhaps the most arresting, and the centrepiece of Walls. Rearrange Beds portrayed a young woman simply trying to make sense of things between people, and Walls makes it appear as if these problems have only grown deeper and more complicated with this new long-distance love. “We could count all the planes at the airport,” she sings on the acoustic “Windows in the City” - “but that would mean that you and I are in the same spot.” The distances between Cooper and her love seem to be far more than just physical, too – they simply just don't understand each other, and cannot seem to come to an agreement on anything.
There is a heartbreaking naivete displayed in lyrics like “Your heart seems fine from over here” (“Not Mine”) and “I've noticed that you're not fine” (“Know This, We've Noticed”); as if Cooper has no idea whatsoever how deep the wounds run in this fractured relationship. The idea of using walls as the metaphorical core of the album also works beautifully – the walls represent far more than separation here. “Just look at these walls,” spits Cooper, almost in disgust, during album highlight “Trains and Tracks.” “There's no brain and there's no heart at all.” You don't even have to share the same experiences to empathise with these heart-wreching scenes documented through An Horse's music – it's a pain that feels as though it's simply part and parcel of the human condition.
As it stands, Walls is the essential Australian album from this side of 2011. It's more than just a successful follow-up, or a defeater of Second Album Syndrome. Walls is a fascinating, brilliantly-written tale of love and loss that shrugs off cliches and sets up An Horse as one of indie rock's must-hear bands, nationality regardless.
|
| Recent reviews by this author | | | |
Excellent review, man. Glad to see you getting back on the....er, horse. I'll give this a shot!
Digging: Suis La Lune - Riala Digging: Suis La Lune - Riala
| | | Album Rating: 4
Yeah, guys, let me know what you think - yay or neigh!
I'll stop with the horsing around now.
Digging: Kate Miller-Heidke - Nightflight | | |
lol omg
| | |
It's Cooper's lyrics on the album that perhaps the most arresting
*are the most arresting
Digging: Amon Tobin - Amon Tobin Digging: Amon Tobin - Amon Tobin
| | | Album Rating: 4
thx
| | |
gewd review, i'm gonna check this out
Digging: - Digging: -
| | |
Great review DavID. Not necessarily convinced, but I'll give it a listen.
Always thought these 2 were brother-sister... Well, actually, I thought they were brother-brother, but thats another story.
| | |
ugh band name gives my inner grammar police a headache
Digging: Plebeian Grandstand - How Hate is Hard to Define Digging: Plebeian Grandstand - How Hate is Hard to Define
| | |
yeah i have to say it in my head with a silent H so that it's correct. an orse.
| | |
That's how they got their name... An argument over grammar with friends.
| | |
Great review as usual David. Pos.
Digging: Walknut - Graveforests And Their Shadows Digging: Walknut - Graveforests And Their Shadows
| | |
Australia's front-running album of the year contender
I find it bizarre that Australia's music scene always seems intent on separating itself from the world like this...
| | |
Because America never seperates itself
Digging: Joy Division - Closer Digging: Joy Division - Closer
| | |
You never hear...
a front-runner for best American album of the year!
sorta things.
| | |
...I suppose. It all depends on the people exclaiming those sort of things...
| | |
Australians?
| | |
People on this site. I never encounter such talk outside of here.
| | |
Australia is still a relatively new country, not far from the days of colonization. That, combined with a minute population and their geographical position means the amount of music they produce is limited compared to countries like the US, so it's probably a case of celebrating what they have. A country that calls a national sports championship 'the world series' probably doesn't have the same issue.
| | |
"Australia is still a relatively new country, not far from the days of colonization. That, combined with a minute population and their geographical position means the amount of music they produce is limited compared to countries like the US, so it's probably a case of celebrating what they have."
That makes sense I guess. I just always wonder when I see like... Davey and Atavan writing like... I dunno... 75% maybe? of their reviews on Australian bands when German users or English users don't like concentrate on releases from their country. Not criticizing, just seems weird-- especially because (from what I can tell) the Australian releases have little or no factors defining them as Australian.
And HEY! we invented baseball, we can call the World Series whatever we want. If you guys wanted to call cricket or croquet or whatever the Universe Championship, America wouldn't complain ; )
| | |
The only thing I can think of is the national identity thing, and I think more eyes are turned towards what's going on in England/Germany etc than Australia. Off the top of my head I could probably only name half a dozen aussie artists.
I think the reason we call our national championships 'national championships' is because we don't think we are the world.
| | | |
|
|
Stumble
Digg
Twitter
Del.icio.us
