9 Horses
Omegah
(9 Horses)

Scary rolling backing keys and slicing wild singular notes get us into the frantic opening groove of first song and title track “Omegah,” from the new 8-song album from 9 Horses. A layered sweet string respite takes us from all the cutting and braying then, as things slow down to a change in mood, and later things get almost Kansas-like (the band not the state) as drums come in and we are sailing once again, but this time with more purpose and melody to the end of the tune.

“New Machine” starts slowly with single droplet-like notes, then Sara Caswell comes in with her ever-so-expressive violin lines. Once again, the tune manages light and dark moments, but what I like about this song, as all of Omegah is that composer/mandolin player Joe Brent allows so much from his expert players.

“Max Richter’s Dream” is unlike much else here. A layering of female harmonized voices of a repeated phrase begin, leading us into a very mournful string melody. We get a synthesized vocal swirl after Caswell’s early playing, plucked piano later, and those vocals pushing throughout the tune, the obvious thematic thru-line the vocalist’s amazing pipes here.

9 Horses rocks at the tail end here. “all the beautiful Rockwood kids” features an infectious poppy violin lead line and electric mandolin, while the percussion bed of the last tune and Andrew Ryan’s subtle bass on “let’s just make it me and you,” get one’s toes tapping, Brent is front and center on this last more than anywhere else and it makes for a great ending to a great album.