Horsegirl may only have two full length albums but they sure sound accomplished! Their sold out Metro show featured the release of their newest album, Phonetics On and On and the band declared that this show was the first time they would be playing many of these songs live, which seemed all the more surprising that they came off so fully realized. Created in Chicago during one of our polar vortex spells and produced by brilliant Cate le Bon , this album out on Matador Records features the same high quality of songs as their debut Versions of Modern Performance with rich guitar textures and vocal harmonies especially. Often, these songs recall the best of 70s folk songs but with a little bit more jangle added in at times and the double vocals make for an enhanced experience. What made this night even more special wasn’t just the fact that they were playing such gems in front of a packed crowd in their hometown but that it felt like a genuine music community that keeps getting stronger, especially with another talented band, Lifeguard, opening for them and watching them play on the wings of the stage.
In some ways, there’s a real no frills aspect to Horsegirl. They don’t make a huge production out of their songs and have an understated stage presence overall. They let the 60 minutes of music speak for itself without encores, even when the audience shouts for one. There’s a great connection there between the three of them, though, and it’s interesting how they are always astute and aware of each other, especially between bandmades Nora Cheng and Penelope Lowenstein. In many ways, the fullness of their sound is actually more consistent and obtained than with a band of 6 members and their level of intention and attention to each other is likely one of those reasons. There is also no grandstanding, solos, or a sense of a leader as much as there is a presence of friendship and a loveliness that enfolds and feels remarkable. Additionally, the enthusiasm of drummer Gigi Reece added some excellent energy to the songs!
Horsegirl played a mix from both albums in a way that felt like the songs from their first release had grown a little live even since they headlined Do Division Fest last summer. They have many tracks from Phonetics On and On that work as singles on record and live like “2468” “Julie” and “Switch Over” but it’s the single “Frontrunner” that seems the most impactful and also reassuring in this time. There’s something about waking up first by someone and longing for them to share those waking moments with you…and perhaps, that longing is even better than the actual moments in a way. In any case, we are all living busy lives filled with far too few moments where we spend the quality time sitting with our feelings and being present in the moments when we just look forward to sharing our time on Earth with another human. There’s something so genuine about this song that seems so simple yet speaks to what is missing from this modern life that we should look to regain. Horsegirl can help us with that.
