Horsey — Debonair — Album Review
Experimental | Alternative | Indie | Rock
Listen on Spotify | Listen on Apple Music
Some of you who follow me may know that I’m quite a fan of the musical project of singer/songwriter Archy Marshall, known as King Krule, and in particular, the 2017 sophomore album The Ooz.
Of course, as you might’ve guessed from the title of this review, we won’t be talking about King Krule specifically today. However, I thought it useful to add that first sentence, for a few people related to that musical project, have had their input towards creating something entirely new.
In particular, the spotlight now turns towards Jack Marshall, Archie’s brother and the visual artist behind a chunk of the King Krule discography. And it would also be a disservice to forget about George Bass, King Krule’s drummer.
With Jack picking up bass guitar, he joined forces with George, guitarist Jacob Read, and singer, songwriter, and keyboardist Theo McCabe, to create the shiny new branch sprouting from the King Krule tree; the four-piece band known as Horsey.
While Horsey is certainly newer than the likes of Archy Marshall’s musical career, the band aren’t entirely new. Their first single release “Everyone’s Tongue” arrived in 2017; the same ear as the now-iconic The Ooz. Although, a small and irregular helping of singles would be all that listeners would hear from Horsey until 2021 that is.
As expected, I feel that the band’s collaboration with the aforementioned King Krule was just what the doctor ordered to get many new listeners on board with the sound of Horsea. I was also guilty of being one of those people. Said collaboration arrived in the form of the 2021 single “Seahorse”, which makes its appearance as the closing track of Horsey’s first-ever album.
And their first-ever album is what I’m here to write about today.
The debut album from Horsey dons the title of Debonair. By definition, this word means confident, stylish, and charming. With that in mind, I feel that this title is an oddly perfect way to title this first album, as it represents everything that this album is, and everything that it’s not.
If the release of “Seahorse” proved anything, it’s that the apocalyptic jazz aesthetic that we’ve been made familiar with, thanks to King Krule, runs quite deeply in the family. Melancholy tracks such as “Seahorse” and “Wharf (ii)” are contrastingly mixed in with dynamically upbeat tracks such as “Sippy Cup” and “Lagoon”.
In a weird twist of irony, the many contrasting elements of Debonair, actually serve as the album’s binding agents. And when combined with everything else that makes this album so unique, such as the near-randomised lyrics, and dynamic mood-switches, the complete aesthetic surrounding Debonair is one that feels remarkably surreal. This is indeed a fantastic quality, in the eyes of someone who is as obsessed with the surreal as me.
This surreal feel marries perfectly with the constant changes in emotive mood that Debonair has. And trust me, when this album wants to be emotive, it is incredibly so. Theo McCabe’s vocal performance is so incredibly versatile, that it matches the insane energy of the album’s instrumentals.
And while this vocal performance did lean into a “musical theatre” feel a bit more than I would’ve liked, the instances in which this happen feel incredibly few and far between. And in most cases, Horsey succeeds in creating a musical compromise to this, which reigns things in slightly from being too out of this world to understand.
In a nutshell, this album is so bonkers, that it makes it hard to describe how it sounds in a way that makes complete sense. However, one thing I can say with the utmost certainty, is that I absolutely love it! As I’m writing this sentence, I’ve only listened to Debonair a total of three times. But the way I feel about it now feels more reminiscent of something I had been listening to for 6 months; it really is that memorable!
And after the disappointment that came with King Krule’s 2020 album Man Alive!, I’m thrilled to know that the influence of his music is still thriving in a different heart; one that beats at an ever-changing pace.
Favourite Tracks: Sippy Cup | Arms and Legs | Wharf (ii) | Lagoon | Clown | Seahorse
Least Favourite Track: 1070
Untitled Recs Limited
Enjoyment: 9/10 | Memorability: 10/10 | Atmosphere: 9/10
Uniqueness: 10/10 | Satisfaction: 9/10 | Narrative: 8/10
