Girl at the Rock Shows

I hope you are all having a great Saturday thus far! I know I am. It’s been kinda sleepy for me but in a good way. I finally went to a chiropractor for the first time in my life, and it honestly felt so good. I’m still tight, still tense to the point where the chiropractor could only really laugh with me, but it felt good and I felt accomplished not bailing on my appointment due to my severe anxiety surrounding anything medical. I got back from that appointment and, after a quick little nap because why not do that on a Saturday? I feel like I’m ready to take on the world, one album at a time. It never works out for me that way. Typically, I review one, and then my ADHD kicks in and I have to move on to the next task around the house, but let’s give it a shot and see if today can be the day of reviews, starting off with ‘Four Horses EP’ from Horsetail.

I’ll be 100% honest with you, as “Texas Columbine” kicked off this EP, I feared that this was just not an album for me. Twangy country vocals took over with simplistic instrumentation floating underneath– just not for me. But that’s when Horsetail hit me with the line, “It’s exhausting to live in a race…” Although just one line in a fairly wordy three and a half minute long song, it changed everything. I instantly started to focus on the words and quickly found the beauty of this track and Horsetail in general, which was going to have me sold on this quick EP. Although the instrumentation of this song, in particular, remained not quite my thing throughout the entirety of it, I did appreciate the way it swelled throughout the track, giving emphasis to certain words and phrases as if to really make sure that the depth of this band’s lyrical talent really sinks in.

Although “Dollhouse” still has that twangy country feeling I felt in “Texas Columbine,” it seems to take a turn to something just a bit more indie rock feeling. Now Horsetail was hitting all of the right spots. I love how there’s a power in this song, but there’s still that sense of endless depth to the vocals that played out in the opening track. Honestly, “Dollhouse” reads a bit like a pop-punk classic. The instrumentation is oddly bright and upbeat in a way while the vocals scream existential dread. It’s a cool twist that I wasn’t quite ready for, but instantly set Horsetail apart from other bands for me and made them a band that, even after this debut EP, I will surely have to pay attention to.

“To Kill a Mockingbird” is the longest song on this quick four-track EP but it is also the song that seemed to hit me the hardest. It seems to be a love song to the state of Texas and all of the things that the writer missed when they moved away from the state. I’ll be honest, I hate Texas. I went there a couple of years ago for a music festival, and it was miserable. It was so stinking hot, and the festival wasn’t run super well, leading to the idea of getting a “Texas Sucks” tattoo with my boyfriend and partner in crime on that trip. We still need to schedule our appointments for that tattoo, but it will happen. Long story, I couldn’t relate to this song the first time I listened to it because I just could not escape the hate I feel for Texas but, on the second time I let this song take over my house, I replaced some of the words and phrases with more Minnesota-centric things and it hit me like a ton of bricks. Although a slower and steadier track in the vein of “Texas Columbine,” I found the beauty here and loved the slow and steady beat that allows your mind to wander into the love you may have for your home state or the state you call home now.

“Texas Bisexual Blues” closes out this release with a slight sense of humor. I don’t know that this was meant to be a humorous song and I promise that I don’t mean to offend by saying that but the lyrics are just so tongue-in-cheek and honest leading to an emotionally raw song but also one, when performed with the deep vocals that are a signature of Horsetail, comes off as a bit funny. Okay, maybe funny isn’t the right way to explain it but just take a listen to this song and I think you will understand what I mean. I love the way that this song gives you a little insight into vocalist Riley Hamilton’s world. It’s slow and kind of sad but, at the same time, there’s comfort there.

Is Horsetail a band that is 100% my speed and my style? Absolutely not, but their debut ‘Four Horses EP’ has me intrigued and super content if only for fourteen minutes. It’s a cool blend of folksy country and indie pop all dolled up with a shadow of raw emotion and honesty.

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