Alanna Miller writesComing Attractions: “Julie” by Horsegirl

by Alanna Miller

Anthony Bourdain famously described Chicago as “a big, brash, broad-shouldered motherf*ckin’ city.” With their sophomore record, Phonetics On and On, hometown heroes Horsegirl embody that toughness. After all, they recorded the album last January at Wilco’s The Loft studio during some of the coldest weeks of the year…with the heat off. Trying to avoid sound interference, the trio played through the bitter frost, bundled in layers and sitting on top of their hands between takes. 

But while Horsegirl’s new record was certainly produced under some rock n’ roll circumstances, its sound is far softer and more gentle than their lauded debut, Versions of Modern Performance. If that album was Horsegirl’s teenaged, “look at me,” attention-grabbing first LP (and I mean literally…they were teenagers when this album was released), then Phonetics On and On is their self-assured, rock solid follow up. 

“Julie,” one of three singles off the new album, says the most lyrically out of the tracks released thus far. Even so, the song features more than a few “Da, da, da ,da’s.” (The other two singles, ‘2468’ and ‘Switch Over’ utilize many more “La, da, da, da, da’s” and “Oh hoo ooh ooh la da da da’s.”) Maybe that’s what they meant by "Phonetics On and On?" Nonetheless, what Horsegirl doesn’t always express lyrically, they say musically.

The album was produced by Cate LeBon, who steered the band away from relying on distortive, opaque sounds in favor of a more stripped down, precise rhythm. The result is a relaxed but stimulating single that reveals new layers to its audience with each and every listen.

 The album’s descriptor promises that Phonetics On and On will feature Horsegirl’s exploration with violins and gamelan tiles, among other instruments, but it’s Gigi Reece’s inventive synth that’s spotlighted on "Julie." It’s twangy and calculated, mirroring the cheekiness of the single’s lyrics.“We have so many mistakes to make/ What do you want from them?’ vocalist Penelope Lowenstein asks. The line is clever and implores the listener to engage in a reflective exercise. We all mess up, but how often do we invite those mistakes? And further, are we asking what those mistakes might gift us?

The record has some twee sensibilities, not unlike a Belle and Sebastian tune, and invokes a whimsy that feels detached from time or space. Still, there’s a depth to the track that seems monumental, like the cascade of feelings a twenty-something wades through when her heart is broken. “When there’s nothing to do/ I’ll think of you,” Lowenstein admits in a sad but all-too-relatable one-liner.

I’m certain Phonetics On and On will continue to surprise me with its subtlety and creativity. It’s definitely a record I already can’t stop listening to.