An Horse
Walls
(Mom + Pop)

In a time when so many artists are experimenting with distortion and autotuning, An Horse provides a refreshing back-to-basics approach to their music. Kate Cooper and Damon Cox, the group’s two members, have mastered the art of the brief song. Nothing on Walls feels cut-off or compressed, even though no track stretches to the four-minute mark.

This latest offering takes post-punk rhythm and adds a slightly feminine edge. Like peers Tegan and Sara and Eisley, An Horse are able to layer beautiful vocals over rock instrumentation while holding court with any male group. There’s no need for subterfuge and studio tricks when such a quality of music already exists.

“Oh my god, I tick tock for you,” Cooper sings on “Trains and Tracks,” and the sentiment translates through the record. Romance is often a catalyst for writing, and Cooper captures the struggles that go with emotional and physical distance. Sometimes she strives to keep things together, and sometimes she contemplates walking away from a relationship. “We’ve made a whole lot of skeletons, but there’s not a whole lot to hold on to,” she confesses in “Tiny Skeletons,” but on “Swallow the Sea” she sings, “I’m still over your shoulder, taking in water.” Anyone who’s had their heart on their sleeve before can see the appeal of this spunky duo.