NORSE HORSE
Following the debut album, Secret Geographies, a split 7” on La Station Radar and a handful of compilation appearances, Norse Horse's sophomore effort, Grids is a bold display of creativity, exuding a vigor bound neither by genre nor geographical realm. Unhinged from any conceivable scene, Ryan Beal pushes forward to uncharted- yet optimistic- territory, deftly blending rich guitar tones, lush arrangements and impeccable production with a certain air of golden vibrance unique only to Southern California. Beal's 2008 release Secret Geographies left listeners in awe of his spiral narrative fusion, blending elements of Thai Molam, Dub, Cumbia and vintage Ethiopian Groove into a rich stew pot of exotic melodies and untamed wiles. Saturated in DIY ethics, Norse Horse’s ludic, genre-crashing pop attests to the brilliance of Beal’s musicality.
Now, in an even more concise effort to examine both his roots and his new-found residency in Los Angeles, Grids stands out as a computational mixture of old and new, inward and outward, drenched in visual sine peaks, cresting monumental heights and delving into earth-shaking depths. On the surface, Beal's concoction can be immediately interpreted as candy-coated and fun-filled (as shown exuberantly in the video by Alice Cohen for the single, "Swells"), but a further examination of the lyrical content reveals a range of emotions and revelations both optimistic and visceral.
Ruminating on genre and dynamism, drawing on a westernized east and an easternized west to rupture the banality of contemporary indie-rock, Beal has fashioned his Norse Horse into a positively energized beacon of life, an emergent music brilliantly cultivated.
RELEASES
TNR003/FAM27 | Grids
LINKS