Review: Horse Jumper Of Love | Horse Jumper Of Love

The rise of Boston slowcore trio Horse Jumper Of Love has perhaps surprised extra-scene observers whose attention was trained so firmly on luminaries such as Speedy Ortiz and Krill that they could not perceive the threesome at the fore of the inevitable, inexorable next wave swelling in the distance. But now that the trio's transcendent, self-titled debut long-player is here, Horse Jumper Of Love's preeminence is undeniable, no matter the vantage point. Its Horse Jumper Of Love is among the enigmatic band's first forays into full-band recordings, yet it shines brightly as both a statement of purpose and resolute expression of a startlingly whole and uncompromising aesthetic.

Horse Jumper's roots date to at least 2013, when principal songwriter Dimitri Giannopoulos' skeletal demos began cropping up on the Internet. Not long after the threesome gelled, it developed a reputation for delivering expansive, cathartic live sets. It is little surprise each member of the trio has a role in producing the new record’s mysterious, off-kilter sound. Jamie Vadala-Doran's beguiling and restrained drum work stops, starts and stutters without ever truly derailing, while John Margaris' minimal, haunting bass playing and backing vocals provide crucial ambiance; together, the rhythm section lends Horse Jumper's compositions a tangible -- if incalculable -- sense of danger. At the center of all this rests Mr. Giannopoulous' cryptic and often elliptical songcraft and playing. A deft guitarist, his short ringing leads pendulate between delicately understated and furiously heavy, often within the same song. Giannopoulous’ iterates and reiterates sonic and lyrical motifs, imbuing his plainspoken but philosophical musings on existence and the space we occupy with substantial weight.

Take for example the early preview track "Spaceman," a buoyant, crawling number presumably about existing separate and apart from public convention. Giannopolous sings of his America towel -- a reference to the tune "July 5th" -- and wields it as much as a literary device as a lyric. While we won't presume to speculate on its true meaning within the Horse Jumper narrative, its repetition suggests the towel carries some deeper importance. Horse Jumper Of Love's closing track "I Love You Very Much Forever" -- which again echoes "July 5th" – is actually a substantially slowed reformulation of the early Horse Jumper demo "Heathen." In addition to these internal references, certain songs point to the world outside the instant record as well. The short, instrumental interlude "I Want To Paint Horses... And To Have A Horse" recalls the ambient aspects of the 2015 demo collection Ur Real Life Dress. Horse Jumper Of Love’s "Bagel Breath" and "DIRT," arguably the set's two strongest tunes, are also culled from previously released demos; here they are given graceful full-band reworkings that thrum with copious distortion.

The record's peculiar cover art -- a scrawl that recalls the visuals for UK fuzz-rock troupe Yuck's early (and far superior) releases -- and accompanying vivid narrative feel of a piece with Horse Jumper Of Love. It also underscores the band's singular personality, a trait mostly ignored by appraisals of the record thus far; indeed, Horse Jumper Of Love has drawn quizzical comparisons to acts as divergent as Alex G and Radiohead. In our estimation, Horse Jumper Of Love is doing something that, while not entirely new, certainly distinguishes the act from its peers. The band's determination to plot its own course is far more praiseworthy than which indie rock critical touchstone a particular journalist feels they most closely approximate. Horse Jumper Of Love is out now on cassette via Disposable America and Gawk Records and can be purchased right here or here. Sources tell us that the tape is already on its second pressing. Stream three songs below, and peruse the band's pending tour dates with Soft Fangs, virtually pasted below. -- Dillon Riley

Horse Jumper Of Love: Bandcamp | Facebook | Soundcloud

The Clicky Clicky Winter Ball featuring Burglary Years, Du Vide and School Shoes | O'Brien's Pub | 13 Jan.

Hey, we made it -- it's 2016! Pat yourself on the back. You know what? You deserve a night out, a real good time with three of the finest bands currently patrolling Boston. It just so happens we can help you with that, as this coming Wednesday, Clicky Clicky's series of rock shows at O'Brien's Pub in Allston Rock City rolls on with a slate so strong it makes us giddy. The evening -- dubbed The Clicky Clicky Winter Ball by The Don of Clicky Clicky Presents -- is top-lined by 'gaze-pop concern Burglary Years, and also includes rising indie pop combo Du Vide and dream-pop upstarts School Shoes.

So what can you expect? Nothing less than hot rock aplenty, mon ami. Burglary Years' 2015 set 100 Roses has been on steady rotation here at HQ for a couple months, and we are very excited to see cuts from the dreamy five's recent record performed live, particularly the uptempo, reverberant jangler "Hey Do You Want To Come Over?" The tune, which hints at a bit of an Echo And The Bunnymen influence, has "hit" written all over it. A second cassette edition of 100 Roses -- limited to 100 pieces that include a lyric booklet, alternate cover and three previously unreleased demos -- is due Feb. 26 from Disposable America; the album had been tipped for a vinyl release via UK-concern Dog Knights Productions, but that has apparently fallen through, so all you label guys out there looking to pick up a hot release, well, you just landed on Boardwalk. Open thy wallet.

As for the supports, we wrote about Du Vide right here in December, not long after the release of the trio's terrific short stack Clutter. The act would seem to have one foot firmly in the Chicago school of '90s indie pop, and strolling through Du Vide's entire catalog is amply rewarding. The recent EP's opener "The Hell It Is" is terrifically affecting, so we suggest you click on the Bandcamp embed below to get familiar if you are not already. Du Vide is nearly finished a debut long-player, and we hope the band will have some new songs in the quiver for us to enjoy Wednesday. For those of you keeping score at home, Wednesday is but the third show since John from Horse Jumper of Love has signed on to play bass for the act, as Du Vide's prior bass player moved south recently. We were fortunate to premiere one of School Shoes' only releases to date, a stellar summer single we wrote about right here in June. Wednesday will be the band's first show in at least a year, so we are especially stoked to see them play. Like Du Vide, School Shoes has been working on a record, but it is unclear how far along the process is. But if you want a bit of perfect sad sunshine, we highly recommend you check out the band's undeniable gem "Cults" via the embed below. What else can we tell you? As the powers that be have dubbed this a Winter Ball, we hope to see some semi-formal garb, although that is certainly not required. What's most important is the gift of your presence. So come on, pilgrim.

Burglary Years: Bandcamp | Facebook
Du Vide: Bandcamp | Facebook
School Shoes: Bandcamp | Facebook