Having spent a fortnight unwinding, relaxing, and listening to many different prog sounds and styles, I found my ears being drawn toward one band in particular that has a distinctive sound, lots of energy, and plays prog with a bit of an attitude. All this pent up vigor after taking a week off has led me to the UK once again as I bask in the sounds of A Formal Horse.
A Formal Horse describe themselves as "...Stravinsky with roid rage." I defy any prog fan to hear that sentence and not feel their ears perk up... just a teeny tiny bit. Hence my curiosity meter throwing the needle to the red zone almost immediately. Apparently A Formal Horse carved out their section of the prog garden with a classical chainsaw. A Formal Horse considers their sound caught in a range between "King Crimson and Mahavishnu Orchestra...with influences from Bartok and Bon Iver..." Always a plus when a band challenges your musical intellect...perhaps I should play King Crimson's "Lizard" immediately following for some prog tete-a-tete...
Moving to the buffet with a an extra giddyup in my step (sorry...couldn't resist) my first taste this week is a song called "Sexbooth." The piece opens smooth enough; nice mellow guitar work and soothing bass...not exactly the "roid rage" I was expecting--and then the :40 mark hit with a flourish. The tempo and mood swing came on faster than one of Sybil's alter-egos. A Formal Horse went from high school band class to a warm up act for Fire Garden in less than a minute--yet were able to sustain a sense of classical dignity. I imagine the band in tuxedos and evening gowns while hammering away in a smoke filled nightclub...
Selection number two is a tune called "I Lean." With a bass line reminiscent of John Wetton, this piece travels in true progressive fashion. Many time changes and attitude adjustments drive a spike right through the middle of the song. In addition to the Wetton bass line, I sense a touch of Spock's Beard sprinkled throughout. Hard driving drums and vocals so smooth you want to wrap yourself in them in while sitting on the beach at dusk...A Formal Horse may be Stravinsky with roid rage, but at least they never lose their prog poise...
Liner Notes...Originally from South Hampton UK, A Formal Horse recently released their self-titled debut EP. The line up at that time consisted of Emily Tulloh on lead vocals, Benjamin Short on guitar, Russell Mann on bass, and Mike Stringfellow on drums. Shortly after completing the EP, Emily left the band to pursue other interests and was replaced by Francesca Lewis. Despite the personnel change, A Formal Horse continues to perform live, build a fan base, and cultivate yet another new section of acreage in the prog garden. This is a band with many pluses; an exceptional debut release, a great sound, a genuine appreciation for the genre, and an uncanny ability to take all that, puree it into a frothy mass, and release it to the masses. Anyone who claims to value prog for what it is as much as for what it is not need listen to this EP. Think "Bang On A Can All Stars" with the Eno factor minus the scriptedness...
OK...on we go to serving number three from the buffet, "Rosensage." As soon as the music starts I feel as though I am running down a back alley trying to escape...though I'm not exactly sure from what. The guitar crawls inside your chest and proceeds to pound its way out. The drums carry the torch leading the way through your rib cage...A Formal Horse throws an Adrian Belew induced cacophony of sound through your headphones; something you will learn to appreciate many times over... Emily comes through once again with vocals smooth enough to bathe in and strong enough to cut glass.
The clip posted below for your listening pleasure this week is an abbreviated live version of "I Lean." I like the absolute simplicity of the setting and the raw sound that can only come from a live performance. Ignore the fact that the dude holding the camera had a bad case of the shakes and focus on the sound...you will be glad you did. Learn more about A Formal Horse at http://www.aformalhorse.com/. This post is but a two-minute teaser; hear more, and better yet purchase the EP, at http://aformalhorse.bandcamp.com/.
Well fellow progheads, hard to believe fourteen days zipped by that quickly. The summer heat is bearing down and I have but skimmed the surface of what prog has to offer the appreciative listener. A Formal Horse came at prog from an often missed angle; to take the music--but not themselves--seriously. From the opening riff to the final fade to black, A Formal Horse has poured incredible passion into their debut release. The idea of coming at prog from a classical point of view and pulling a bootlegger's turn so abruptly makes for interesting listening...and marvelous music. A Formal Horse is a musically intellectual kick-in-the-cerebellum. I know there must be more prog brain teasers out there...and I am going to follow my new summer tradition and take two weeks to scope one out, so until July 29th...
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