Russell HughesPulled Apart By Horses – The Haze (Caroline International)
Genre: Alt. Rock
For a band who never thought they would turn professional, Pulled Apart By Horses have made an excellent career for themselves.
From the wide-eyed visceral noise generated by their debut album Pulled Apart By Horses to the more considered, analysed and thought-through work of Blood, the Leeds natives have left their mark on the UKs music venues and rock enthusiasts.
The Haze is their fourth album and it marks the point when the four-piece have abandoned the music laboratory and headed for a more natural habitat – doing whatever feels right, whatever springs up in the minds of the noise rockers.
The result is a record that combines and galvanises the best aspects of their past three albums which deserves to propel them to new audiences and new heights. There are strong similarities with High Five, Swan Dive, Nose Dive on The Big What If, the second song on the new release while Evil Twin shows that the band can write more accessible tracks with a rough edge – the sonic equivalent of a house trained lion begging to let off the leash so it can do some damage.
2010’s Pulled Apart By Horses where rough edged and operated at breakneck speed, but time seems to have matured the band. Hotel Motivation is another example of this slightly softer sound and it’s no surprise that it was crafted into a music video in the run up to the release of The Haze. It’s catchy, pacey and Tom Hudson’s vocals are still gravellier than a school playground in the 60s but at the same time the song just feels more accessible than anything the band have done before.
Before old-school PABH fans start wondering if the band has lost their soul, don’t worry, they haven’t. If anything, this album is the sound of the group finding it and could be their best effort yet.
RUSHONROCK RATED: 9/10 The Haze? It’s all clear now
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