Horsegirl - Phonetics On and On
Da-da-da-do-do-do: the album.
Horsegirl, the American indie-rock-trio, is back with a new record Phonetics On and On, a follow-up to their 2022 debut Versions of Modern Performance. Produced by Kate Le Bon and drenched in lo-fi melodies, sparkling guitars, and dancing drum beats, the album drowns in its own repetitiveness.
What happens when three introverts get together in a studio and record a rock album? Well, we'd probably get a new Horsegirl longplay. The songwriting on this record is as brutal and self-assured as it is simple and terse. Take “Well I Know You're Shy”, where the guitar overshadows the vocalist herself. Actually, this is a common case on this record: Phonetics On and On sounds like you're listening to your friends play in their parents' garage. They are proficient with their instruments but too shy to fully express their thoughts.
This leads the album to its second problem: its repetitiveness. Nearly every track here is half-filled with syllables like 'da-da-da,' 'la-la-la,' and 'do-do-do.' While this initially seems like a quirky charm of the record, by the middle, it becomes quite tiring. In fact, some tracks here are even built around this approach: “2468” feels more like a children's counting rhyme than a song that you decide to release as a lead single.
Sometimes the songwriting saves the day: “Julie” is a touching love letter with a beautifully layered instrumental reminiscent of Lucy Dacus’ “Night Shift”. “Rock City” and “Sports Meets Sound” tell the story of a lost soul whose 20 years of life flashed by in a second. The band truly excels at crafting beautiful lyrics, but for some reason, Horsegirl overshadows the heartfelt moments in their lyrics with vocal chants and guitar riffs.
Overall, Phonetics On and On is both a gentle and clumsy record at once. The instrumentals are pleasing but that's about it. Though some songs may fit perfectly for a local rock radio station, I find its monotony to be rather off-putting, the vocals are often bland, and the album as a whole feels dry and deficient.
5.9/10
The album is coming out on February 14 via Matador Records.