Given their band members’ comparatively young age, and the relatively short time they’ve been together (only since 2019), Horsegirl have a sound that transcends expectations. The Chicago trio’s latest studio album, Phonetics On and On, harnesses the lo-fi feel and indie pop charm of such nineties American bands as Black Tambourine and The Aislers Set, but their influences don’t stop there. “Where’d You Go”, Phonetics’ lead-off track, features a tense rumble that recalls The Creation’s 1966 garage rock hit “Making Time” before devolving into a brief guitar freakout that sounds like an outtake from VU’s White Light/White Heat in all the best ways.
Three songs in, Horsegirl downshift slightly with “In Twos”, a mid-tempo number that has Nora Cheng and Penelope Lowenstein singing lyrics of hope and futility. “Every good thing that I find, I find I lose,” the two sing over an angular lead guitar riff and staccato strings. The strings continue during the perky “2468”. This time, however, the violin provides a slightly atonal, drawn-out whine, suggesting something akin to Vicky Aspinall’s signature contribution to The Raincoats’ best songs. “Well I Know You’re Shy” may be Horsegirls’ best chance for crossover success, or at least viral fame. Over a peppy bass and drummer Gigi Reece’s excellent drumming, the ladies deliver one of their best songs to date.
The one constant in all the songs on Phonetics On and On is the tone and mood of the vocals and lyrics. Nearly every opportunity to relay feelings of wistful yearning is exploited to its fullest extent. The only exception may be “Switch Over”, a comparatively speedy moment in the sequence that has Lowenstein and Cheng replacing lines of unrequited longing with ‘oohs’ and ‘da-da-das’, creating a two chord back and forth reminiscent of Stereolab minus the Moogs. The acoustic guitar on “Frontrunner”, when paired with Reece’s snare shuffle, provides an optimistic bed for Cheng and Lowenstein to cheerfully sing, “In the morning when you’re sleeping, I can’t wait.”
Phonetics On and On is concluded with “I Can’t Stand To See You”. Here, the ladies pull out all the stops, shifting easily between a suspenseful build, a freewheeling pre-chorus, and a catchy-as-hell chorus. Impressively, all of this takes place in two and a half minutes. The album’s hopeful ender is one of those songs that makes you want to go back and listen to the entire album again from the beginning. With Phonetics On and On, Horsegirl handily sidestep the sophomore slump.
Rating: 9.0/10
