I’ve had the privilege of watching Why Horses? develop over the last two and a bit years, from seeing them at the first local gig I ever attended in Cardiff under their old name to headlining London’s iconic Brixton Windmill. Their growth is apparent on this EP, These Hands, where they’ve clearly found their sound, blending post-punk, danceable rhythm sections, and a more psychy, slowcorey art rock with the unique textures and melodies of the violin.
Lead single and EP opener ‘Yr Big Day’ is an unusually singley single for the lads, condensing all the elements of the band’s current sound into an upbeat, buoyant, two-and-a-half-minute almost-pop song. Its lyrics focus on frontman Gabriel Lester’s preoccupation with the existential poetry of birthdays, built around a gripping riff.
‘Cat’s Cradle’ delves further into this existentialism through the ideas in the Kurt Vonnegut novel of the same name. It depicts Gabe’s conflicts between these ideas of a pointless existence and the religious beliefs of purpose that have given him his own moral grounding in life. At one point, the lyrics explicitly ask, “What if he’s right and there’s no meaning to life on earth?” Here, the EP opens out musically and emotionally. It slows down and we’re treated to violin from newer addition Will Dadswell, although underneath is still a nervy rhythm section that drives them forward.
Then comes ‘Greyhounds’, which opens with an unusual guitar riff that gets under your skin. Its lyrics use the metaphor of betting on dogs to explore vices and this idea of pointlessness further. It’s musically rich, with spacey guitars and distinctive violin playing that moves from plucks into swirling textures and back again.
The other star of this project, which elevates the band, is the production from Zain Checri, brother of drummer Hadi. His background in ‘wonky dance music’ clearly informs the added ambient electronics and more adventurous production choices, borrowing from dub and psychedelic electronica. These build a layered texture that becomes part of the world of the EP and helps to expand the band into their fullest sound yet.
Now to the closer, ‘Eugene My Brother’, which opens beautifully with a simple yet effective grounding bassline. The lyrics become explicitly religious, addressing this titular character and reaffirming an idea about a higher purpose. It builds into a musical epiphany, opening out into the most expansive moment on the record. Combining dubby production and a massive violin line that slowly peters out into musical remnants, it’s possibly their finest musical work to date.
These Hands is a great project that explores ideas about what it means to be human, taking their brand of art rock to another level. With their combination of post-punk, slowcore, violin, and adventurous production, Why Horses? have developed a sound that feels increasingly their own. Watch out for these guys. I fear the only way is up.
These Hands EP is out now via Brace Yourself Records on CD and digital download – get yours now on Bandcamp
Why Horses?: Instagram / Facebook / Bandcamp
Review by Oscar Hackett
Keep up to date with all new content on Joyzine via our
Instagram | Facebook | Bluesky | Mailing List