It`s hard to imagine that it was only January 2024 that Brown Horse released `Reservoir` an album so good that Maximum Volume said: “the future of Americana might be a band from Norfolk.” It`s fourteen months on and i`m back where I’d witnessed this East Anglian sextet`s Birmingham debut show in the same room and venue, now a month after they released their sophomore album `All the Right Weaknesses` There`s minimal fuss as the band take to the stage and open with three numbers from the latest release with `Verna Bloom` which is named after the American actress who appeared in Hight Plains Drifter, National Lampoon`s Animal House and The Last Temptation of Christ. A laid back slice of enticing Americana with Patrick Turner`s wavering vulnerable vocals trading off Phoebe Troup`s supporting tones. Title track `All the Right Weaknesses` follows before `Dog Rose` which was previewed on last year’s tour. The Dog Rose name was developed out of a belief, during classical times, that the root was the cure for the bite of a mad dog and often represents love, beauty, and protection. Here it`s a more surreal tale with a gentle vulnerability.
As they did last year the band share a brand new unrecorded number which appears to be `Comeback Loading` before returning to the latest release for `Wisteria Vine` with its endearing dual vocals with a Wisteria representing love, sensuality, beauty, immortality, and endurance. `Corduroy Couch` is another cut from the recent release and again is a number that was previewed last year and written by Nyle Holihan about listening to Talking Heads and REM tapes on an old sofa in his parent’s attic. It`s one of those engaging numbers that once you`ve heard it once you just want to hit repeat, again and again and sing along. That`s the real strength of this outfit that apart from being wonderful musicians they are happy to collaborate and songs are sourced from each member of the band, especially on this latest album.
We head back to the debut album for the title track the slightly melancholic and haunting `Reservoir` and the dreamy `Stealing Horses` which is my favourite Brown Horse track and has a heartbreaking emotional sensibility about it.
The last couple of cuts come from `All the Right Weaknesses with the upbeat `Radio Free Bolinas` which refers to the reclusive Californian coastal community before closing out with the reflective `Wipers` another song previewed last year which had a false start this evening.
It`s a little difficult for all six to leave the stage so they remain for a concluding song come encore with `Shoot Back` a decisive thoughtful and dreamy composition. Tonight was the groups final show of an intensive three week trek around Europe and the UK and again it was an emotional and overwhelming listen at times with numbers that have a real delicate fragility and beauty about them.
I`m sure there must be some festival appearances on the horizon so it`s worth keeping an eye for those. There`s something about this band who include Patrick Turner, Rowan Braham, Emma Tovell, Nyle Holihan, Ben Auld and Phoebe Troup that really gels and as I said before if the band was from Norwich, Virginia, USA and not Norwick, Norfolk, UK, i`m sure they`d be megastars but for now they`ll remain for us in the know, our own undiscovered guilty pleasure.
