The name Deadhorse conjures up images of a metal band from Texas in the ’90s, or of that iconic scene from The Godfather. Deadhorse, however, are neither of these things. They have a hometown bent and their debut album is definitely heavy on the talent.
Sometimes listening to an album is like finding a few bucks in a pair of pants you haven’t worn for a while. Deadhorse invoke a similar sense of ecstatic surprise. Look at the artwork for their self-titled debut and you’ll find a horse statue on the cover and tarot cards scattered on the back. The visuals don’t provide any clues for what you’re about to experience in the next 35 minutes.
The album starts with a psychedelic flow on the synth and reverb heavy “Interstellar Remedies.” You might be tempted to label the band as ambient electronica, but as the song ends there is a Sonic Youth-esque guitar outro. Then “Glam Central” busts out a southern blues harmonica. The album continuously changes pace and every song is a fresh breathe of air, while retaining the over arching garage-rock feel. Their talent bleeds through on songs like “Upon a Mountain High,” or the standout “Paraboots.”
This is a great album that can be appreciated by any fans of the aforementioned genres. Deadhorse are definitely a band to watch in 2011 and in years to come.
Mathew Richards