Strange Passengers

Charlie Horse, the project of Sydney couple Paul McDonald and Crystal Rose, have followed up 2012’s I Hope I Am Not A Monster with another solid offering.

The band once again draw on their Americana country-rock influences for this record.

While most of the verses are written a little too cautiously, the songs are invariably opened up into spacious, melodic choruses.

Rose’s vocals are laced a certain kind of ’90s attitude that seems to come very naturally.

The arrangements are nothing groundbreaking, but they’re fitting. In his role in the studio, McDonald makes full use of the rock producer’s arsenal with a liberal spread of backing vocals and tambourine.

While the drum beats and bass lines aren’t exactly the stuff of visionaries, they do exactly what they need to do by supplying a sturdy foundation for McDonald and Rose’s lead parts.

If the first few tracks sound a bit samey, the album turns around at the halfway point. ‘Where The Fuck Did We Go Wrong’ is downright gnarly and offers the edge that the rest of album is lacking.

The second half of the record is characterised by a number of solid album-tracks that see the welcome addition of some ¾ time signatures and ballad structures. ‘December Again’ is a particularly strong example.

With Strange Passengers, Charlie Horse have produced a very functional and totally listenable album.

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