Reservoir. Brown Horse

Even in 2024, after decades of listening to new music, it is still possible to encounter a band that makes a near immediate, huge impression. Enter Brown Horse. On the back of the title track of Reservoir I found that there was an album out already and found it on Spotify. It only took a few songs to register that I'm listening to the culmination of some 50 odd years of country/folk rock and all else from around this genre, joined with an enormous boost of youthful energy and enthusiasm of playing this music.

Those with the experience of having lived through the past decades will hear the best of Neil Young, Grant Lee Buffalo, The Pogues minus Irish roots, and traditional folk influences. It all jumps out of my speakers as if it is the most normal thing to hear in 2024. It's not, as it has nothing to do with what is popular these days (and mostly does pass me by). Those much younger today and going for this album, have so much great music to discover based on this album.

Brown Horse started in 2018 in Norwich as a four piece and played pubs with a mix of covers until the pandemic stopped us all in our tracks but especially budding young musicians. They reconvened though and added two musicians to the band, making it a more rocking outfit than before. Also, the band started writing its own material and recorded it. The result is Reservoir, an enormously inspiring album.

The folk element in Brown Horse's music is obvious. It's already 15 years ago when the "hey-ho and ho-hey" bands broke big, starting with Mumford & Sons, to disappear again a few years later. You will not hear hey-ho on Reservoir but certainly traces of this music. Especially when the tempo is down and a traditional instrument comes in. This is only where the journey for Brown Horse begins. The music goes so much deeper and is far more raw. The nerves are laid nearly bare on the surface here and not well hidden behind pretending to have a good time. Just listen to how the album begins. The tempo is mid-level and the electric guitar is howling with the wolves in the darkest part of the forest. 'Stealing Horses' is not just an opening song, it is a declaration of intent. Brown Horse is not beating around the bush here, nor hiding in plain sight. The band shows it all, tears, pain and hardship. It's all here and then some.

If 'Stealing Horses' and second song 'Reservoir', which was my introduction to the band, makes the impression on you as it has on me, the rest of the album will go down like a dream. There's really no need to write more as this tells it all to you. Start running to the record store is my advice.

Wout de Natris