It Starts With a Birthstone - 200 Albums for 2024 # 175 Brown Horse - Reservoir

 

Black Horse's debut album Reservoir. An album that often verges on the classic, but never entirely topples into it. Recorded in four days apparently in a studio in Norfolk. R.E.M could work fast but even they took a couple of weeks over Reckoning apparently.

The hype on Brown Horse is already considerable. The band apparently 'acknowledges an indebtedness to the turn of the millennium alt-country sounds of Uncle Tupelo, Silver Jews, Lucnda Williams and Jason Molina.' So they revere the good stuff then. And can walk the walk too apparently given a single play of Reservoir.

I don't really see The Silver Jews connection though let's face it anyone with good taste rates Silver Jews. Ryan Adams and Whiskeytown seem like a closer call to me but perhaps people don't mention that guy these days. It also sounds like Mike Scott is guesting on the mic a fair bit and that's never a bad thing either.

This isn't a masterpiece. It's a little too samey and walks a familiar line. But it is a fine record that the Americana crowd will enjoy. Dark Horses, Brown Horse. I imagine I won't be the first to say that and certainly won't be the last.