Texas-born, Oklahoma-based Horse Thief plays a panoramic blend of rootsy, folk rock that evokes the wide-open spaces of America’s Midwest. “Little Dust,” the latest single from their forthcoming Bella Union debut Fear In Bliss allows the band to exercise the demons brought about by the lead singers’ bouts with anxiety and depression.
The track has a looseness to it which allows for the gloomy depictions of drug abuse and chasing the dragon to feel as breezy as a desert wind. Gorgeous guitar lines soaked in golden cello tremolo sneak along with the pounding drums and aching vocals while the lyrics detail the narrators’ devilish hallucinations.
The use of atmospheric instrumentation and the emotive presence of the vocals makes Horse Thief stand out amongst the throngs of freak-folk rockers attempting a similar sound. Producer Thom Monahan (Devendra Banhart, Vetiver) helped the band fuse their renowned stage performance with the studio quality he is known for. That is not to say the recordings aren’t wonderfully rough around the edges. “Little Dust” proves in the first few minutes that there’s nothing streamlined about truly feeling alive, and point of fact, the rawer the better.
Fear In Bliss favorably positions the band as a love child of Flaming Lips and The Beachwood Sparks and should appeal to fans of both. That is to say, if you like your freakiness to go down nice and smooth, this one’s for you.
