Strange Horses is the ninth album by Seattle based Downpilot who are helmed by Paul Hiraga who recorded and produced the album in Seattle and Whidbey Island with help from Anne Marie Ruljancich, Lars Plogschties, Terry de Castro, Jeff Brown, Melinda Rice and Will Thomas.
The album opens with Primitive Skin that hasn't been moisturized or cared for, slightly scaley, they are walking down by the water, hoping for some peace to be found while swimming, hoping it will stop their Primitive Skin from becoming too leathery, which with music this gentle is unlikely.
In The Air feels like a gentle breeze, blowing through the outskirts of town, slow thoughtful acoustic guitar trying to make sense of all the change they see around them, did they feel that change coming, or has the rapidly changing landscape caught them by surprise. The careful counterbalance between acoustic and mellow electric guitars, slow careful backing vocals adding emotion to the questions being asked.
You Never Fly almost like you read one Bowie biography too many, taking his aversion to flying to heart, preferring the slow languorous pace this is played at, while asking what happens when you finally come back down to earth, you have cleaned up so completely, he knows You Never Fly anymore, no matter how much the strings implore you too.
Playground is a slow sombre tale of Playground adventures of days gone by, back when all you wanted was to be the new Paul Brady, having that seriousness and deep musicality allowed to shine through while seeking the truth once more.
Sent A Picture that reminds him of foraging for pearls in the trash of life's highways, couched in strings and remembrance of things past, but never forgotten, carefully shimmering through the changes and twists life has taken.
Rose Paranoia takes us down to the mean streets of Pasadena and the Rose Parade and all his conflicted feelings, that led to his Paranoia over a mesmeric shuffling beat, emerging from the thoughtful strings, that make him want to leave his fears to another time.
Loose Change has gone out of fashion in these days of plastic, he'd like to go back to the days of jangling pockets, hoping to have enough Loose change for some coffee and a sandwich once more. He might even have enough coin to work the machines in the launderette if he's lucky.
September Street is totally downbeat and sad at the conclusion of Summer, this is a stroll along leaf strewn streets with the glow of fading light, slightly morose at everything slowly falling apart with no joy on the horizon.
The album closes with the title track Strange Horses that chase each other round the carousel of life, hoping they aren't put down if any part of there machinery breaks down. How will they deal with all the confusion modernity brings. They seem to have arrived from the deep past, a place where things still made sense.
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