The experimental Baltimore band Horse Lords has released a new album, Hidden Cities, out November 4 via NNA Tapes.
The quartet’s second record is full of intricate, instrumental grooves that wind off into sprawling, ambitious jams, like their first album, but with an extra oomph of urgency and depth. There are rich, funky tracks like the whirling-twirling, sax-heavy single, “Outer East,” which they released earlier this fall, as well as the cowbell-heavy loop, “Macaw,” and the Big Easy-infused “Life Without Dead Time.” Meanwhile, the others—“Tent City” and “All That Is Sold”—go off on experimental tangents, with subtle or singular sounds building and morphing and smoldering into something complex, sometimes droning, sometimes even stellar.
You can check it out now, on Soundcloud, or you can catch the band yourself. In Charm City, they perform at venues like The Metro Gallery and The Windup Space, as well as bigger gigs like Fields Festival, ScapeScape and Artscape. They’re also about to set off on a North American tour, starting tomorrow night at The Crown. The set will include other local acts like Flock of Dimes, Strange Times People Band, M.C. Schmidt (of Matmos), and Jason Willett, as well as visuals by Greg St. Pierre.
Look out for a full review of the album in our upcoming December issue.