Lets get one thing straight right off the bat. I have had a copy of this CD in my possession (and been listening to it on a near daily basis) for months. So while I am happy beyond words that my friend and some time collaborator, the extremely talented Xian Hawkins (of Sybarite) got a glowing review in the Paper Of Record (aka The New York Times) I am slightly annoyed that this entry might now feel a bit like I’m following the pack.
I am not, damn it! I have been a fan of Bell Horses since before they even had a name. So there. Though I must admit that when Jon Pareles refers to this music as a gorgeous disorientation, he’s got a point. It lifts you up and carries you away to some other nearby spot– almost like home, only warmer and with greener grass. Though you need not despair of getting completeley lost in a psychadelic soundscape. There is always a thread of a song, and a downright hummable one at that, to guide you through the complex swirling waves of music that make up these compositions.
Click below to hear it for yourself (and to read me rave on a bit more)
Having worked with Xian myself (here is one of our joint efforts for his band, Sybarite) I know what an amazing thing it is to have your lyrics and melody transformed into an altogether different animal. One that is way cooler than you could have possibly imagined. I can only hope that Jenny Owen Youngs has a similar experience when listening to the fruits of her labor.
Take a listen to some of their music on their myspace page and then I challenge you to try to get the melodies out of your head. And when you realize that you can’t, just be glad that what is stuck in there is not an insult to your intelligence and realize that your day is a much better place to be with these songs as part of your soundtrack.
Run don’t walk to the Bell Horses site to buy the CD or to find out where else you can get it.
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