An Horse - Rearrange Beds (Album)
» Tegan & Sara - Enmore Theatre, NSW - January 8, 2009
» Intercooler - Zoo, The, QLD - January 19, 2008
My first exposure to Brisbane duo An Horse was when I saw Tegan and Sara play, a way that many people would have first heard of this band. The Canadian twins seem to have taken An Horse under their wing, touring with them across the United States, and this year across Australia. An Horse were the second very well chosen support band for the Sydney show and I instantly fell just a liiiiittle in love with them. The stage which would later fit Tegan and Sara and their three-piece band was then home only to Damon on drums/backing vocals and Kate on vocals/guitar but it didn’t for a moment seem too big for them, their sound and adorably awkward stage presence filling up the Enmore Theatre.
Fans of Tegan and Sara will definitely enjoy An Horse’s debut album Rearrange Beds. It has that same sort of vibe about it, of cute, sing-along pop songs, the fun of which almost deceives you into thinking the lyrics aren’t about something a little deeper, a little more painful than handclaps and repetition. The upside is that Tegan and Sara tend to be an acquired taste, whereas An Horse are much easier to instantly fall for, and not just because of how adorable the band members are. The ten-track album is not for people who think their musical tastes are superior to honest pop songs about heartache, crushes and uncertainty. This music reminds me of what JJJ sounded like back when they actually played new, exciting Australian bands – the sort of music I’d sway to at a gig but wouldn’t mention as a favourite band if I was trying to earn hipster points. It’s just a little too honest and not nearly pretentious enough for that.
The stand-out track on the album is undoubtedly Little Little Little, with lyrics to melt your heart and make you want to hold hands and be vulnerable with someone – “and oh my god, you’re a handful, and oh my god, these hands are so small”. Whilst every song on this album is good on its own, some songs stand out so beautifully, in particular the tension that builds up on the wonderfully named Scared as Fuck and the fragility of the vocals and lyrics theme of Little Lungs. The only disappointment is the too-slow finish with the song Listen. It doesn’t wrap the album up on a high note, and it just doesn’t fit well with the quality of the songs before…it’s not a bad song, but it’s not a good way to bring the record to an end.
If you’re looking for songs to relate to when you’re feeling a little blue, songs to put on mixtapes for special girls/boys…songs that just say what they mean without hiding behind haircuts and fancy names, I strongly recommend you give Rearrange Beds a listen.
