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Phonetics On and
Phonetics On and in Bloomington, MN
Current price: $17.99
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Size: CD
Horsegirl
's debut album,
Versions of Modern Performance
, was a bracing reboot of noise rock that saw the young musicians diving headfirst into scrape-y post-punk, scrappy shoegaze, and overdriven C86-style pop, emerging with a batch of songs that balanced avant-garde sounds and lemonade-sweet melodies. It was so good and so fresh-feeling that it almost immediately begged the question of what they could possibly do to improve on an approach that's nearly perfect. They sort that out on their second album,
Phonetics On and On
, in a couple of ways. Firstly, they strip off almost all vestiges of noise, with barely any distortion and a crisp, clean production helmed by
Cate Le Bon
. Secondly, they bring the voices to the front of the mix, letting their plangent leads and swooning harmonies be the focus. It was a daring gambit, but it pays off exceedingly well. Part of the joy of the band's debut was the sheer amount of grit and rumble in the mix; this time the listener is dazzled by the sleek starkness of the arrangement and production, where one can hear the space between the clanging, jangling guitars, angular bass lines, and restrained drum hits. Songs like "Information Content" or "In Twos" are clean enough to eat off of, and one doesn't miss the grunge and grime so prevalent on the debut at all.
These songs are defiantly slow as well, and the band take their time to parse out the words and chords like hugs they want to hold onto a little longer. In lesser hands, it might have come across a little precious or overly restrained, but
know exactly how to keep even the slowest, most stripped-back song -- like the one-chord drone "Julie," which serves as the emotional center of the album -- completely riveting thanks to the amount of naked emotion being transmitted. The same thing holds true for the faster songs, where they get a little peppy ("Well I Know You're Shy"), indulge in some jagged rocking ("I Can't Stand to See You"), and layer in some echoing, wildly soloing guitars over galloping drumbeats ("Where'd You Go?"). The pristinely chosen guitar sounds, the melodic power of the bass, and the always-supportive thump of the drums blend with some truly lovely vocals and goose-bump-inducing lyrics to boost the band up a level. They've not only topped their debut but they've also opened up vistas of possibility for the future, while crafting the kind of thoughtful, resonant, and imminently listenable indie rock record that will give fans of the genre something to point to when told that they just don't make 'em like that anymore. They do, and even back in the heyday of indie rock in the '90s, there were few records that had the same kind of impact that
does. This is special, timeless music that speaks equally to the heart and the brain, and it positions
as the keepers of the indie rock flame. ~ Tim Sendra
's debut album,
Versions of Modern Performance
, was a bracing reboot of noise rock that saw the young musicians diving headfirst into scrape-y post-punk, scrappy shoegaze, and overdriven C86-style pop, emerging with a batch of songs that balanced avant-garde sounds and lemonade-sweet melodies. It was so good and so fresh-feeling that it almost immediately begged the question of what they could possibly do to improve on an approach that's nearly perfect. They sort that out on their second album,
Phonetics On and On
, in a couple of ways. Firstly, they strip off almost all vestiges of noise, with barely any distortion and a crisp, clean production helmed by
Cate Le Bon
. Secondly, they bring the voices to the front of the mix, letting their plangent leads and swooning harmonies be the focus. It was a daring gambit, but it pays off exceedingly well. Part of the joy of the band's debut was the sheer amount of grit and rumble in the mix; this time the listener is dazzled by the sleek starkness of the arrangement and production, where one can hear the space between the clanging, jangling guitars, angular bass lines, and restrained drum hits. Songs like "Information Content" or "In Twos" are clean enough to eat off of, and one doesn't miss the grunge and grime so prevalent on the debut at all.
These songs are defiantly slow as well, and the band take their time to parse out the words and chords like hugs they want to hold onto a little longer. In lesser hands, it might have come across a little precious or overly restrained, but
know exactly how to keep even the slowest, most stripped-back song -- like the one-chord drone "Julie," which serves as the emotional center of the album -- completely riveting thanks to the amount of naked emotion being transmitted. The same thing holds true for the faster songs, where they get a little peppy ("Well I Know You're Shy"), indulge in some jagged rocking ("I Can't Stand to See You"), and layer in some echoing, wildly soloing guitars over galloping drumbeats ("Where'd You Go?"). The pristinely chosen guitar sounds, the melodic power of the bass, and the always-supportive thump of the drums blend with some truly lovely vocals and goose-bump-inducing lyrics to boost the band up a level. They've not only topped their debut but they've also opened up vistas of possibility for the future, while crafting the kind of thoughtful, resonant, and imminently listenable indie rock record that will give fans of the genre something to point to when told that they just don't make 'em like that anymore. They do, and even back in the heyday of indie rock in the '90s, there were few records that had the same kind of impact that
does. This is special, timeless music that speaks equally to the heart and the brain, and it positions
as the keepers of the indie rock flame. ~ Tim Sendra
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