tense forms reviews

Andy Wagner - Horse Year
(Tense Forms)

10/12 (Buy this new)

Andy Wagner’s Horse Year is one of those albums that you can’t get out of your head. It takes this insistent hold upon your ear and then haunts you long after you’ve put on something else. Wagner follows in the line of Uncle Tupelo, using a healthy mix of country-influenced rock, but he has more of a western element and an edginess, which may be from his strange but affecting vocals or from his use of accordion.

Although Wagner gets help on drums from Mark Benson of Lying in States and Matt Lindblom of Early Day Miners plays electric guitar on one track, Wagner plays everything else; guitar, bass, accordion, vocals and keyboards. He also recorded and produced this as well as wrote all the songs.

I have everyone here at my office humming the first track, “Weak in the Knees.” It has this maniacal tune that is so catchy, it’s almost impossible not to learn. There was some fear that the rest of the album would pale in comparison, but that proved unfounded. The next track, “Nothing to Defend,” has this flare worthy of Calexico, only with different ghosts. I could list all the aspects of each song I found stirring, but wouldn’t you rather hear it yourself?

r. renzoni
2004 jan 16