Good alternative rock is certainly in decline these days. Thankfully, An Horse is here to save us all! The duo of Damon Cox and Kate Cooper hail from Brisbane, Australia and are one of the best new bands out today. Their debut album Rearrange Beds is a fury of angst, depression, curiosity, and an odd sense of hopefulness set against a minimal musical landscape.
The inaugural track, “Camp Out” is easily the albums highlight sounding like a scorning of the highest order from a voice that does not instill even a little fear in you. Its pop hook is so memorable you’ll have a hard time escaping it. After a month, I’m still humming it every single day and I absorb a lot of music in the span of a month. The mid-tempo enlightenment of “Little Little Little” is a highlight as well and Kate Cooper’s voice is at her best on it. Her voice is tremendously feminine but, on this track in particular, also very forceful. “Scared as Fuck” and the gentler outro, “Listen,” are also highlights.
Overall this is a surprisingly strong debut that makes other duos like The Dresden Dolls and The White Stripes look pale in comparison. If you like true-hearted Alt-Rock then Rearrange Beds is definitely something you should check out, although I have an inkling that more than a few fans of great pop hooks in general will find a lot to love about An Horse as well.
Review by Mark Fisher
