by Dan Goldin (@post_trash_)
Kingston, NY duo Rider/Horse ain’t no one trick pony, as they prove on their second album, Feed ‘Em Salt. The pairing of Cory Plump (Spray Paint, Winged Wheel) and Chris Turco (Les Savy Fav, Trans Am) have headed back to the swarm, to bring us their next chapter, one that is constantly rattled, repetitive, and eerily engaging. Due out November 18th via Ever/Never Records (Kilynn Lunsford, Stefan Christensen, Mosquitoes), the band still play with minimal structures, but the overall effect feels bigger, more realized, and the nerves have been further splayed. On a project that could very well have been a pandemic era whim to record from two busy musicians, it’s great to see Rider/Horse continue to evolve their formula with both brainy weirdness and a bit of brute strength.
“Great Innings,” the album’s lead single is propelled by haunted distortion and impenetrable repetition. The wash of noise seems to permeate like waves caught in a loop. The sound covers everything, churning and piercing with a discordant drift. There’s little in the way of attack as the melodic blanket of noise simply appears like an apparition, the throbbing foil to the mesmerizing thud of rhythm. A framework is built on tight snares and dense bass, keeping the form forever surging forward, everything sort of devoured in its path.