It seems like an age since Horse Party emerged with a clutch of single and EP releases in the form of ‘Back to Mono’ and ‘Scarlet & Blue’, a live set that sounded a shade thin and like a bit of a stop-gap, which, of course, it was. Not that they haven’t been busy in the meantime, spending 2013 touring hard and rounding the year off with another single release, ‘What Do You Need’. And now, finally, we have their debut album proper.
The three single releases are all gathered here, and kicking off in suitably stomping style with the gritty blues rock of ‘Back to Mono’. It’s a celebration of their rough ‘n’ ready style, but that isn’t to say ‘Cover Your Eyes’ is lacking in the production stakes , balancing a ragged rawness that allows the energy, the passion, the emotion to shine without burying any of the details in the beautifully haunting, emotive guitar lines and without losing the separation between instruments. Most importantly, the hooky choruses are presented in their best light, Ellie Langley’s country-tinged vocal the perfect balance of melody and grit.
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The album’s not short on quality: truth is, any one of the eight tracks could be singles, from the sultry ‘Six’ to the breezy pop of ‘Let the Man Die’ and finally the delicate acoustic strum of ‘To Know You Less,’ all of the songs showcase a keen songwriting ability. Overall, ‘Cover Your Eyes’ places their no-messing rock sound to the fore, and it works a treat. No horseplay here, just good, old-school kick-ass rock with swagger and soul.
Horse Party Online
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