And he is a sly one is Sly Horse (real name Steve Cautious, real real name Steve Abrehart). For starters, we kind of assumed he was American, possibly from California. Turns out he's from Kingsbridge (kind of south of Plymouth for you non south-westerners) and his music is equally hard to pinpoint. Personally he cites indie, hip-hop, punk and funk as influences, and although we don't find any rapping, there is a definite influence in the beats. His new EP 'Shotty Beach' is the result of crossbreeding his favourite sounds to attempt to craft something unique. Now just about everyone who isn't trying to be gangsta rap or landfill indie is doing exactly the same, which means the question is, is Sly Horse much cop?
We'll go for a yes. The production is similar at times to chillwave or electronica ('Now I'm Back In Devon' being a prime example) but the spectre of hip-hop looms large over the beats he lays down as the foundation for some tracks ('Fireworks In Prague' in particular). In terms of the songs, well you'd have to say they're written, and therefore possibly began life as reasonably regular in structure and technique, but there are good lyrics and the songs are strong and emotive. Which means that, although it may take a couple of spins to fully get to grips with 'Shotty Beach', Sly/Steve/Steve has managed to come up with something that's both good and succeeds in finding its own little niche.
Sly Horse's website
Stream or buy the album
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