Review: Strung Like a Horse- Dirt
Strung Like a Horse calls the music they make “Hillbilly Stompgrass” and that's as good a name for it as any. On their 2020 album WHOA!, they combined elements of bluegrass, jam, and indie rock into a package that was always fun. Now, for their follow-up Dirt, they're amping the genre-hopping up even further.
Where WHOA! had a core of bluegrass and old-time with indie rock mixed in, Dirt finds the band with a more rock-oriented core, though the roots elements never disappear. Elements of alt-rock, psychedelic, and even some classic guitar rock seep into each track until you have something that manages to combine Yonder Mountain String Band with Flaming Lips with The National with Tom and make it all sound cohesive.
The album's first single is “Find Your Way Home.” and it's kind of a mission statement for the entire record. Frontman and primary songwriter Clay Maselle told me in a recent interview that the album was, at its core, about unplugging from our increasingly electronic life, turning off the devices that rule our lives, and reconnecting with each other. “Now we're all flyin' / we're trying to hang on,” Maselle sings. “Feel like I'm falling but I hope I'm wrong / I'm holding on but I ain't that strong.” It's a mid-tempo indie rock stroll with some good messaging.
On the other end is “Old Man From Golden.” Starting with crashing electric guitars worthy of any hard rockers, it settles into a spoken word verse before returning to a sung chorus. Throughout the album, there's a drum and bass core that gives it an almost Tom Waits meets Les Claypool cabaret feel that turns it into one of the album's most satisfying songs.
“Crash My Car,” with its crazy ex-girlfriend vibe, is the song that best represents the sense of humor that is a hallmark of the band's live shows. A Southern rocker, it's a fun song with a funky groove.
The album's best song is “Done Digging Ditches.” The album's rootsiest song is an acoustic blues number that reminds me a bit of Lynyrd Skynyrd's “Mr. Banker.” The song is the story of a common laborer who leaves his job to pursue his dream of playing music. “Sun pressing down / like a finger on me / saying son you ain't being / what I meant you to be,” Maselle rasps before declaring “I'm done digging ditches / I've got something to say.”
Elsewhere, Strung Like a Horse explores their jam influences and even a bit of progressive rock with two six-plus minute tracks “On the Water” and “I Don't Wanna Be With Anyone.” “Falling Balloon” is another acoustic ballad with a casual stroll reminiscent of Jack Johnson. “Water to the Seed” has a fuzz-toned guitar lick that anchors the song as Maselle drawls the verses before a clean guitar solo soars out of nowhere.
It's risky for a band to change up their sound. There's always the chance of alienating your existing fan base. But there is also bravery that evolves into what you want to be instead of becoming stale. Strung Like a Horse takes those chances throughout Dirt and manages to succeed in walking that fine line between evolution and keeping the core of who you are.