Taste in music is a funny old thing. No matter how good you are, there will always be people out there who dislike you, and no matter how bad, there will always be fans. How else can we explain the fact that Red Hot Chili Peppers have been together for 30 years and sold millions of records? On the other hand, one might say that The Beatles for example, are undeniably a great band, and not simply because of their overwhelming success, but because their albums were so good. Others disagree, sometimes through lack of hearing their music, sometimes genuinely, and sometimes purely for the sake of being contrary. One constant (or as near as you can get at least) amongst music critics and fans of recent years, is that experimental shoegaze/alt-rock/electronica group I Break Horses are a very fine band. They may not be a household name, but that's down to them not having a commercial sound. Music fans who've heard their records rarely find much to criticise.
With new album 'Chiaroscuro' out this week, we can once again expect gushing reviews and an expansion of their dedicated following, although major char success will likely allude them. Single 'You Burn' has several of the characteristics that's helped them achieve such respect. Firstly, although they're a band who are part of the "rock" family tree, they're pushing things forward with the different types of sound that they weave together here. There are electronic beats, synths, a repetitive drone pulsing away in the background, and sultry, almost mystical vocals. The song builds too; the ticking, stuttering beats grow in stature and the other elements also increase in activity as the track continues its journey. It's these layers that take a hauntingly bewitching song and give it the atmosphere that's needed to take it beyond a level that many others in this category can only dream of. The different textures and steady growth continues right up until the last beat of the song. Sublime, but then we've come to expect nothing less.
I Break Horses' website
Stream the album in full
Buy the album
Catch them live:
Jan 23 Village Underground, London, United Kingdom
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