Tyler Durden (Fight Club) once said, “You are not a beautiful and unique snowflake.” A Thousand Horses seems to be cool with that. Instead of molding to the pretensions of rock, they pay homage to their predecessors in their Southern-rock infused self-titled debut EP. This, ironically, makes them pretty unique.
Frontman Michael Hobby looks the part of the “long haired hippie” he sings about in “Travelin’ Man” and personifies the rock n roll stereotypes that exist because it’s rock n roll, damn it. With a voice that sounds like a younger Chris Robinson (The Black Crowes), he has a raspy, bluesy lilt that is evident on every track.
The rest of the band consists of Bill Satcher on lead guitar, Graham DeLoach on bass, Zach Brown (no, not that one) on guitar and Shane Lenzen on drums. Their five-track EP was recorded with the help of producer Dave Cobb in Silver Lake, CA. They recorded in one room as a full band, which is perhaps why the album has the spontaneous and eager feel of a live show.
Each track seems to channel a different ghost of rock past, most notably Tom Petty and Led Zeppelin. The lyrics of many of the songs on the EP solidify their “been there, done that” attitude of touring musicians, who both mock and adore the lifestyle they’ve chosen. The music, however, is the actual proof that these guys know what they’re doing. The natural harmony of the electric guitar, bass and drums make it evident that this band has been doing more than jamming in a garage.
The stand out track is hands-down “A Thousand Horses,” which fittingly features The Black Crowes guitarist Rich Robinson. The band plays so seamlessly together on this track, I kept hoping for a Slash-inspired extended guitar solo. The rest of the album is exactly what a rock album should be: simple, fun and catchy enough to remember the lyrics after your seventh PBR.
There’s nothing trendy about this EP and it doesn’t take any gimmick lessons from Ke$ha (the dollar sign still perplexes me). It’s a jam-til-4-a.m.-don’t-take-your-shoes-off-at-the-door-buy-someone-a-drink-and-make-some-bad-decisions kind of album. And that is definitely rock n roll. – Krystal Wallace