2468

Horsegirl (note the important spelling) are back with a new single after two years. Since I first clocked them on backing vocals in BC,NR’s hall-of-fame cover of ‘Happier Than Ever’, the Chicago trio’s stuff has been on very, very heavy rotation.

Their previous effort, Versions of Modern Performance, is familiar but refreshing post-punk. Between its shoegazey and/or piano-laden interludes is a record laced with flavours of Kim Gordon and Ulrika Spacek. Tracks like ‘Option 8’, ‘World of Pots and Pans’ and ‘Anti-glory’ are held down by a rough and driving rhythm section that sucks you in with every spin. In my mind this comes down to Horsegirl’s reining of a Fender Bass VI for the project’s low-end, its deployment throughout the record is as captivating as it is high-risk of being gimmicky, but that record nailed it.

‘2468’ is not that.

The track’s intro is clad with violins that sound adjacent to my efforts circa 2011, which was a big shock to the ears and had me asking after the gentle noisiness, and the Bass VI. But, as ‘2468’ progresses you begin to get it. Over three and a bit minutes you begin to want to start dancing your first dance, to bust out the flappy armed and bum-wagging moves of a toddler, and this is reinforced by the music video, which is nice and simple. In the vid, the trio are clad in mutedly fun colours and playing schoolyard games, making you want to get down ala the end of Fantastic Mr. Fox.

‘2468’ trades in Versions’ spacey and oblique lyricism for a total of eight words, four of them numbers: “2, 4, 6, 8 / they walk in twos”. With the addition of some light scatting, that’s it for the tune’s vocals, and it’s fantastic.

This front-facing playground whimsy could be hiding something bleaker, maybe it’s written from the view of someone feeling left behind in arrested development, seeing those near them pair off and walk away. This wouldn’t be unusual for Horsegirl, as it’s easy to read alienation and lonesomeness into the lyrics of their previous material. But, if this single’s sweeping instrumental switch-up holds for the remainder of the new record, maybe the lyrics will follow and take a turn toward earnestness and joy.

The upcoming record, Phonetics On and On, is produced by modern matriarch of intricate and ambling guitar music, Cate Le Bon, again a major departure from the stylings of indie rocker whisperer John Agnello, who helmed Versions. This could well prove to be an inspired choice, but we have a long wait until the record’s release date. Regardless, it’s supremely satisfying to have an answer to the question, what is Horsegirl up to?

Ollie O’Brien

25 November 2024

Phonetics On and On releases 14 February 2025 on Matador Records.