IT might be decades since no-wave and shoegaze's discordant snarls of guitar emerged from the underground, but Chicago's Horsegirl is providing the genres with fresh injection of teen spirit.
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The three-piece of Nora Cheng (guitar, vocals), Penelope Lowenstein (guitar, vocals) and Gigi Reece (drums) met in 2018 in Chicago's all-ages scene and bonded over a shared love Sonic Youth and DIY ethos.
Naturally Sonic Youth influences can be clearly heard in Horsegirl's debut album Versions of Modern Performance, as well as lashings other late '80s and early '90s luminaries such as My Bloody Valentine and Dinosaur Jr and even Rhinoceros-era Smashing Pumpkins.
It doesn't hurt the record was produced by John Agnello (Kurt Vile, The Breeders, Dinosaur Jr), who has an innate knowledge of their influences. The adherence to the fuzzed-out wall-of-guitar sound of yesteryear has naturally created a buzz in the music press.
But to dismiss Horsegirl as merely paying homage to their parents' vinyl collections, would be unfair. There's a sly humour at the heart of Versions of Modern Performance - much like their English counterparts Wet Leg - that was never contemplated by Horsegirl's heroes in their prime.
Can you imagine Thurston Moore or J Mascis having the playfulness to utter lines like, "I'm on the run from the severed leg of my son" [Option 8] or to name their instrumental piano piece The Guitar Is Dead 3?
The obvious high point on Horsegirl's debut is the opening track Anti-glory with its serrated riff and propulsive drums.
Another is, Beautiful Song, an assault of reverb-heavy shoegaze complemented by a sweet melody and the puzzling, "When a fly's stuck in the car without a key how does it breathe?"
It's fair to argue Horsegirl aren't re-inventing the wheel. In places their songs risk becoming pastiche.
However, some of the album's more experimental moments - the droning The Fall Of Horsegirl and Electrolocation 2 - hint their music could be heading in fascinating directions. This is only the beginning for Horsegirl.