Sometimes great tracks take a little while to grow on you, but in The Snowfalls, the debut single from Whyte Horses, you’re taken almost instantly with its psych soaked pop brilliance. Coming about as a result of a three month break in the Italian countryside with some old and slightly beaten up analogue recording gear, plus a cheap guitar or two, makes it all the more impressive.
Released today (20th October 2014) through CRC Recordings the single is available as a 7″ and on digital download and for us it’s a banker to help you hold on to the last vestiges of the kaleidoscopic summer haze as things start to get cold and grey. There’s no word as of yet in terms of a full album release to accompany the single, but if The Snowfalls is anything to go by it probably won’t be too long before it arrives.
The single itself is a psychedelic pop track with impressive lo-fi credentials for such a rounded song. It’s got great ringing, jangling electric guitar riffs that are hard not to become completely enveloped by and really stunning vocals from Julie, the female singer on the track. Xylophone chimes, random samples and some very cool drum beats make for an infinitely listenable track.
We love the pace, construction and psych music heritage knowledge that has gone into making The Snowfalls such a great debut single. There’s also a lot of folk in the mix too, giving it a summer of love feel, despite the distinctly wintry nature of the lyrics. If you imagine a Jefferson Aeroplane, Veronica Falls, The Jesus And Mary Chain and Chris Helme love-in, you wouldn’t be too far away from what Whyte Horses has put together.
The 7″ single itself also comes with the band’s second track release, Morning Clouds, which will be on the B-side of the debut. It’s another dreamy, psych pop song from the newcomers, but this time led by acoustic guitar rhythm and some desert beats. It’s a little slower than the lead track, but it builds towards a shimmering cymbal end.
Whyte Horses are headed up by obscure psych music record collector Dom Thomas, who’s clearly been instrumental in crafting such a fresh take on such an established sound. You can listen to The Snowfalls single below in the music video stream and if you’re wondering where the crazy sad clown shots come from, they’re taken from the footage of the pilot of a Czech children’s TV show called The Process, which looks pretty cool in the psychedelic haze of the video.
The band will be launching the single at a special gig on the 25th of October 2014 at the The Islington in London, giving us the first opportunity to hear the two songs live and to get a listen to the rest of their upcoming material. The launch party will also feature guest DJ sets from Chris Geddes of Belle & Sebastian fame along with the musical delights of The Go! Team’s Ian Parton.
Whyte Horses, The Snow Falls review: 4.5/5
