5 out of 5

Label: Goth Horse Records

Produced by: Justin Wilmore

I listen to a lot of music. I know you do too. And we’re both aware that, no matter how much we listen to, there is an exponential amount of music we’ll never get to listen to – either due to accessibility, or awareness, or, y’know, time. Still, you, me, we’re pretty savvy types, dipping our toes in various genre pools, and I’m not one to say there’s nothing new under the sun – hardly; I lecture fools who dare claim this – but I’ll allow that maybe I don’t get surprised very often. When I do, or more specifically, when I heard Haunted Horses’ Watcher, my exact reaction is: how did I not know this existed?

I mean, it’s not without precedent, hitting on a mix of FACS’ minimalism and krautrock-influenced flat delivery, blended with Young Widows’ similarly minimalist hardcore, blended with Daughters’ eclecticism… but while those touchpoints may tell a tale that gets you interested, they’re not at all the story.

Haunted Horses’ Watcher is a frighteningly powerful A-side pummeling of noise, grinding and grooving, that gives way to a B-side of melody, supported by that same intense lowend, and Colin Dawson’s appropriately haunted vocals, emerging from intense reverb to hover over and howl at us, not exactly screaming and not exactly yelling, but certainly not whispering, either. Consider it a very stern talking to, holding you in your seat and struggling to hear / understand these doomy words floating down around you while the walls shake from pounding drums and bass, and shimmering but sharp guitar slabs.

The A-side is a wash of interconnected tracks, such that it can almost pass as one song; the B-side feels more patient in this regard, with clearer “hooks” and starts and beginnings. This makes for quite a perfect journey: breathlessly galloped through nonstop drum fills and the intense pace of several songs, then a physical pause: flip the tape or the LP, press play or hit the needle with a bit of trepidation, and then get introduced to a slower, more melodic sound.

Still unnerving as heck, though.

The sound of Watcher is close enough to the references I’ve made above, but there’s a focus here that I haven’t experienced with those other bands, either due to a purposeful bit of distancing (FACS) or some other limitations that admittedly work for those groups while maybe requiring a bit of work from the listener as well. Haunted Horses is the Lovecraftian take on that sound: something that’s always existed, just out of reach, and both unknowable but deeply familiar at the same time. It is not a peaceful listen, but the purposeful juxtaposition of the quiet and loud sides of this album in particular provide a built-in “experience” that I can’t get tired of.