Horsegirl  - Phonetics On And On

It’s only natural that as we grow older and our tastes, cultural references, and surroundings change, they inherently evolve our ideas of how art and friendship can be embodied. In 2022, on debut ‘Versions Of Modern Performance’, Horsegirl were noisy, high school art rockers; second time around, the Chicago trio of Nora Cheng, Penelope Lowenstein and Gigi Reece present as life companions via a charming, slacker-inspired indie pop record. As the instruments of first track ‘Where’d You Go’ play on, its rolling drums and bright tonality cement the fact that Horsegirl aren’t clinging to their Sonic Youth phase. The trio’s stylistic approach is masterfully guided here by Cate Le Bon on production duties, who encouraged the band to dabble with strings and gamelan instruments. Unsurprisingly, this achieves an almost childlike soundscape, as on ‘Well I Know You’re Shy’ and closer ‘I Can’t Stand To See You’ (which literally ends with the lyric “And it’s oh so plain to see / How often I think sentimentally”). It’s also an album that balances upbeat tunes with slower, catchy melodies: vocal murmurs and delicate harmonies are layered atop light acoustic strums as warm bass tones ring out beneath, evoking traditional folk structures in songs like ‘Julie’, ‘Frontrunner’ and ‘Information Content’. While Horsegirl aren’t presenting groundbreaking musical ideas, on this joyful second outing the band clearly aren’t shying away from new sonic personas.