There must be something in the water here in Philadelphia that is nurturing the recent wave of retro sounding classic Americana-influenced acts like The War on Drugs and Kurt Vile. Or maybe it’s just six degrees of jamming. Following in the footsteps of the previously mentioned artists are a relatively new band on the local music scene, Tin Horses. The group started out as a side project of Kiel Everett, bassist for psychedelic noise rock outfit Purling Hiss, as an outlet for his more country roots-rock side as a musician. Tin Horses has also given him the chance to share his skills as a lead vocalist and guitar player, which is a drastic change from the rumbling bass riffage that he usually adds to Purling Hiss’ compositions/jams. Helping Everett round out Tin Horses’ sound are: Michael Sobel on guitar/lap steel, Patrick Hickey on bass/backing vocals, and Stephen Rockwell on drums/backing vocals.
Back at the end of March, the band released their debut seven-song EP, American Radiance via Bandcamp. After listening to the album for the first time, it was hard not to think of another band with a horse-themed name…Neil Young’s Crazy Horse, but don’t think Tin Horses are just another lame Neil Young knockoff. On American Radiance, Tin Horses sound as if Crazy Horse lived through the underground music scene of America in the ‘90s, where punk bands finally embraced the classic rock groups that had come before them producing acts like Dinosaur Jr., who took their early raw hardcore roots and expanded on the initially limiting genre to create their own brand of rock propelling them to college radio darlings status with J Mascis’ lazy vocal draw and soaring wah-wah drenched guitar solos. What sets Tin Horses apart most from their influences is their non-traditional vocal delivery over the raw Americana twang of their backing tracks. American Radiance is more than just the raw chaotic guitar interplay and thumping rhythms of “Amphetamine” and “Ain’t No Use” though, which gives the album an added musical depth and dynamic that is often missing on debut releases. Everett and company are able to display their more subtle, countrified side with tracks like “Copse Woods” and “Gypsy Lane,” which are based around the good ole acoustic guitar. What stands out on “Copse Woods” are the haunting vocal harmonies singing “I feel I’m getting closer to my maker” over the eerie drone of the cello and the patient rhythm of the song. “Gypsy Lane” is a short instrumental track showing both Everett and Sobel’s prowess on acoustic and lap steel guitars, but the real purpose of the track is to serve as a segue from the album’s laidback middle section back to the raw guitar loudness of the beginning of the album for its final two tracks “What Keeps You Goin’” and “Rebel.” However, the third song on American Radiance, “You Took Care Of Me While I Was Dyin” is the best example of everything that makes up Tin Horses’ sound in six minutes and twenty-five seconds, working perfectly as the solid backbone of the album. The track begins with heavy guitar feedback before beautifully falling into melodic acoustic guitar work that rolls with down-home rhythms while Everett’s vocals are nicely accented by Sobel’s lap steel guitar leads. Midway through the song, the fuzzy, Crazy Horse-esque guitars return for some solos in between verses, and then come back with full force in the last minute and a half of the track that is filled with solos and guitar interplay that would make both Young and Mascis proud (and secretly a bit jealous).
You can purchase and download American Radiance HERE. Tin Horses will also be performing live at Johnny Brenda’s on Thursday, August 18 when they open The War on Drugs Record Release Party with NYC’s Caveman. – Dan Brightcliffe