High Horse - High Horse

High Horse

High Horse
Adhyäropa Records; 2024

TOP ALBUM

By ​Dino DiMuro​

Boston’s High Horse group describe themselves as “a progressive-acoustic boy band featuring four friends, three bows, and one pick.” They’ve just released their debut self-titled album High Horse. The band’s unique lineup includes Carson McHaney (fiddle), Karl Henry (cello), G Rockwell (guitar) and Noah Harrington (bass) plus a couple guest players. Their music is described as “a band of brothers playing alternative rock on acoustic instruments, exploring and performing original compositions and tunes from diverse folk traditions.”

The boys first got together in spring of 2023 to play a suite composed by Carson McHaney for his graduate recital at the New England Conservatory of Music. No doubt realizing the potential for their unusual grouping, the band developed a genre that mixes bluegrass, Celtic and old-time sounds. Their uniqueness extends to the recording process, where the band played together in one room but aimed multiple microphones at each player. Recording took place at the Great North Sound Society Studio in Maine by producer Jacob Jolliff, with engineering by Dave Sinko and mastering by David Glasser. 

“Tombstone Territory” throws us right into the fray, with a jazzy construct giving the guys separate parts that somehow coalesce. Even at the top you can feel the stringed instruments being pushed “outside the lines” to create mysterious, spooky sounds. When the main melodies finally kick in, one can’t help but gasp at the invention and dexterity of the players. It’s like classical, prog rock and jazz went to a coffee shop for an extended conversation. Oh yeah: it’s also quite lovely! Though everyone shines, guitarist G Rockwell and mandolin player Jacob Jolliff blast through seemingly impossible runs without pausing for breath. At five minutes the pace slows a bit to showcase strings and bass, which is a changeup that works beautifully. 

“Prelude (Holy Water)” is a short chamber-style piece with harmonic melodies that seem to play right on the surface of my heart, before kicking into a rock-like tempo with slashing chords that suggest heavy metal guitar while staying resolutely acoustic. “Holy Water” does not seem to have a musical connection to the previous track, featuring acoustic picking and the gorgeous vocals of Kat Wallace. This track is the most song-like thus far, though it can’t help but feel like a church hymn with the whole group adding backing vocals of “holy water.”

“The Orphan / Richard Dwyer’s / Mrs. Lawrie’s” starts with pizzicato strings leading into a Celtic-influenced reel. At three minutes the tempo kicks into what might be “slip jig” time, then gets impossibly speedy for the final section. If I’d heard this track in isolation I’d just assume these guys were an Irish Traditional band. “Dotted Line” features one of the main guys on lead vocals and is a surprising detour into Americana or country folk rock, making it one of the more accessible tracks here. That the boys can stack harmony vocals as well as they play their instruments is almost overkill!

The latter half of the album features a four-movement suite which is described as “a perfect showcase for their unique sound.” The opening “Suite l. Mantra” features another amazing solo acoustic turn by G Rockwell accompanied by Jacob Jolliff’s mandolin, before being joined by the strings. The guys were going for a “gentle, wind-swept texture evocative of western movie music.” Part two follows without pause: “Suite ll. Money On My Mind” is meant to add a “muscularity” to the proceedings. Strings are foremost and the melodies here recall long-ago prog tracks by Gentle Giant. “Suite lll. Farewell (for The Time Being)” is described as “a gorgeous string band elegy worthy of Nickel Creek or the Appalachia Waltz recordings of Yo-Yo Ma, Stewart Duncan, and Edgar Meyer.” This one’s short but packed with invention. The conclusion “Suite lV. Side-Stepping” gathers all the loose threads for a final Irish-like dance with joyous, inviting melodies. The middle section locks into a circular riff on which all players jam with abandon, with a faster and more traditional race to the finish line.

Believe it or not, there’s MUCH more here than I’ve been able to describe, and nothing rates anywhere south of a ten. I’m floored by these guys and I know you will be too!

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