An Horse Walls

A simple assembly is all it takes for An Horse to rip up a well-aimed song: an amped guitar, a minimal drum kit, and the appropriate pedal to lay siege with an overpowering amount of noise. The Australian duo started on the right track with Rearrange Beds, a modest debut that established them as slightly one-note but with enough brawn and lyrical aptitude to justify the Tegan & Sara seal of approval. Not to mention, the inclusion of chorus bangers Postcards and Camp Out, two left-field hits so good that you’d be willing to spend the cash to take them off the inevitable career pothole of product placement.

So yes, the thought of a Mercedes making the curve comes to mind every time that opening guitar crunch comes up. Fortunately, it was merely a kick of economic moral; Walls proves that the pair still has plenty of mileage to sustain a longer voyage. Evoking the cloistered spirit of college radio, An Horse are just about hitting their stride – Kate Cooper continues to lay the rebellious damsel in distress without debasing herself, while drummer Damon Cox pummels the kit at every angle, filling every open space with brash disposition. Their authentic unison is what makes them stand out in the BFF sack race – while others flair studious technicality with abnormal precision (the Whites), Cooper and Cox are unconcerned on upping each other’s skills; their musical tastes are so in accord, it’s hard to envisage them parting ways.

Walls also has a few hidden Easter eggs  – the wistful acoustic pattern of Windows in the City and the melodic scales in Know This, We’ve Noticed are far more bred than the punk buzz heard in their previous set list. But alas, their memo still consists in chugging fast, yet laced chords, which tension Cooper’s cathartic heart from breaking into pieces. Perhaps their impatience gets the best of them, especially in key moments when there's a build up and the momentum suddenly stops without a satisfying conclusion. That aside, An Horse carry on their full-bodied sound with a knack that is much to be desired. And boy, are those hooks grand!