Self-released
Release date: 17.01.2018
Production: Jure Mihevc & Marko Jakopanec
EP length: approx. 22.00 min
Genre: indie rock / pop / folk
Buy the album!
Last January, the Logatec-based band Fed Horses put out their studio EP “Sinner”. Sure, it’s been almost a year and a half since release, but RockLine has to say at least a “little something” about Fed Horses too. This is a band that, with their debut EP, has delivered a brand-new story to the Slovenian and international scene alike (the songs on the EP are sung in English), the story of a new, polished, one-of-a-kind entity of musical vision, a musical concept all their own. We could happily drop the word “international” if the EP “Sinner” didn’t actually sound “international”, and not just in the brilliant execution of the English in the vocal delivery, but in the vibe and production of the EP’s five compositions too. Which means that Fed Horses have something truly special in their musical guts, right from the starting line of their career. Something fresh, something different. Their own secret and seriously special ace in the hole.
Fed Horses are indie pop rockers who, through hard work and wholehearted commitment to everything they take on, have managed to hit several targets in one go. They’ve developed their own musical identity and character, and with an internalized sense for instantly infectious musicality, they’ve won over the radio waves. “Sinner” shows off a subtle production, where the building blocks of the sound live side by side in a fascinating balance, wrapped around the polished, sensual, charming and endlessly yearning vocals of Urša Mihevc, which keeps them constantly appealing and very relevant. Simply because they’re at once very “homey” and yet carry that special something that teases the listener even more and nudges them to start digging into the band in more detail.
As an opener, the cornerstone and foundational studio document, the EP “Sinner” has brought Fed Horses exactly what most bands chase in vain for years with their releases. All five songs have gone through a long process of self-evolution and aesthetic polishing, and they reflect the great sonic and compositional perfection the band strives for, which has developed completely naturally and unpretentiously over the years of playing together. Simply. They’re marked by great compatibility in the writing between verse and chorus, plus constant dynamics and great flow. And an appealing variety of moods, which the compositions manage to hold even in polished modulations (within the mid-eight passages). Add to that a subtle production, organic sonic palettes and an interplay of sound veils that stretch through fields of melancholy, string together vistas of longing and even mysticism, which is not exactly an everyday thing for Slovenian rock bands.
The use of acoustics, which backs the band’s compact sound, is reinforced and deepened by the keyboards, which often fill the space with a “Hammond” sound. The guitar deftly works the craft of minimalist tricks in the spirit of “less is more”. The whole thing can stir up quite a bit of interest in the commercial British alt pop and indie rock aesthetic, whose original sin was committed long ago with U2’s “sonic bending” tricks. The guitar can also be effected (supported by effects like the “shimmering” sustainer), which deepens the contrasts at will and strengthens the moods. You can’t skip the excellent rhythm section either. The dynamic, penetrating, ever-present and musically infectious bass lines, as well as the active drum foundation. The opener Sinner speaks in the rhythm of dance kinetics, and no wonder that, with its infectious musicality, it gets played often on radio stations. Like I said, with Fed Horses everything is exactly where it should be.
You can feel elements of folk in the style. With the integration of violin, as well as the rhythmic structures and guitar ornaments, Fed Horses weave elements of Americana and country into their indie pop rock language. But this most likely happened very naturally and spontaneously through the evolution of their sound and style. As in, it’s fair to ask whether Americana and country ever really inspired the band members at all. This extra genre spice doesn’t work as if the members were enthralled by the genre in question. Rather, these elements must have crept in completely naturally, that is, through all sorts of tricks picked up while jamming and trying things out at rehearsals, and the band, within its indie pop rock home groove, found those tricks very compatible and internalized them. Deftly wove them into the compositions. Over time, these country tricks, however innocent they seem, grew into an all-too-important contrasting building block of the band’s sonic and stylistic aesthetic.
What marks the compositions, then, is the sensual aesthetic minimalism of how they’re built. A heap of details that feel subtly put together. The building blocks are in the right place at every moment and communicate with each other with remarkable complementarity and awareness. And none of this signature catchiness would exist without the charming magic of Urša Mihevc’s infectious vocals. A voice of strong character, wrapped in a passionate creation of emotions, is fundamentally tight and very polished. It speaks infectiously and opens the doors to radio frequencies wide for the band. With its internalized sensuality and devotion, the voice effortlessly brings to life the message of the band’s poetry. That’s the essence of how the band’s music touches even the most hidden corners of a listener’s soul.
The EP “Sinner” in one word? It drives. With the character this EP shows off, Fed Horses are absolutely on the right track. Not just in a burst of perfectionism, but in wholeheartedly developing and enriching their own homegrown character going forward, and in growing into one of the most recognizable Slovenian (alt/indie) rock bands, something Slovenian radio is already picking up on “big time” .
Jardier, The Margins, Seven Days In May, Fed Horses of course, and a few others. Each heading their own way, shouldering the alternative rock blessing of their own back catalog, yet also bands that can bring under one roof the broader mass of Slovenian fans of musically infectious alt/indie rock groove, into which a clearly noticeable element of pop has been subtly “slipped”. This paragraph is proof of how truly strong (and sharp) we Slovenians can be in current ideas and production refreshes of alternative rock.
author: Aleš Podbrežnik
rating: 9.0 / 10
Tracklist:
1. Sinner
2. Toy
3. Love Tree
4. Father’s House
5. Leaving
Lineup:
Urša Mihevc – vocals
Rok Škrlj – bass guitar
Timi Eler – drums
Jure Mihevc – guitar
Guest musicians:
Mitja Kavčič – Hammond (tracks 1, 2 and 4), electric piano on track 5, synthesizers on tracks 1 and 5.
Danijel Bogataj – violin and effects (track 5)
Marko Jakopanec – additional programming
