Horsegirl – Versions Of Modern Performance (Purple Vinyl)

Chicago trio Horsegirl announce their debut record, ‘Versions of Modern Performance’, out on Matador. Best friends Penelope Lowenstein (guitar, vocals), Nora Cheng (guitar, vocals) and Gigi Reece (drums) do everything collectively, from songwriting to trading vocal duties and swapping instruments to sound and visual art design. The warmth and strength of their bond crackles through every second of their debut. With lyrics intentionally impressionistic and open-ended, and a sound that ranges with joy and enthusiasm across a range of styles, ‘Versions of Modern Performance’ offers many pathways. Across the record, Horsegirl expertly play with texture, shape and shade, showcasing their fondness for improvisation and experimentation. One can hear elements of the 1980s and 1990s independent music the band love so deeply and sincerely – the scuzzy melodicism of what used to be called ‘college rock’, the cool, bubbly space-age sheen of the ‘90s vamps on lounge and noir; the warm, noisy roar of shoegaze; the economical hooks and rhythms of post-punk. There’s even a bit of nowave mixed in for good measure. But as Horsegirl fuse all of this together, it feels not like a pastiche or a hacky retread but something as playful and unique as its predecessors.