by Myles Tiessen (@myles_tiessen)
In the depths of winter in 2021, Feeble Little Horse formed. Through a mutual appreciation of the euphoric properties in noise, feedback, and sonic distortion, Sebastian Kinsler (guitar, production, vocals, bass) and Ryan Walchonski (guitar, vocals) got to work chipping away the fuzz and making space in the music to fill with elegant riffs and primordial chord progressions. The addition of Jake Kelley on drums and Lydia Slocum on bass and vocals transformed the music into digestible, melody-focused rock.
The result of these DIY, mad-scientist-experiments was Modern Tourism, a five-song EP released in May 2021 that pulled at the melancholic and emotional lethargy felt during the pandemic. The similarly emotionally driven full-length Hayday was released in October 2021.
To commence 2022, Feeble Little Horse have released an expanded reissue of Modern Tourism via Crafted Sounds. The new ten track EP features all the original material, unreleased demos, and a My Bloody Valentine cover.
Perhaps the stars of the uncovered b-side are the joint effort between Feeble Little Horse and Gaadge. Here, the label-mates share covers of each other’s songs. Gaadge reworks “Tricks” from Hayday while Feeble Little Horse add their flare to “Murphy’s Law.”
Feeble Little Horse’s variation of “Murphy’s Law” inserts their characteristic saturated production and, right from the start, incorporate a great deal of vitality. Unlike Gaadge’s original, which features slow builds and crescendos, Feeble Little Horse inject “Murphy’s Law” with a consistent rhythm and a looping riff that feels somewhere between Alex G, My Bloody Valentine, and a hip-hop DJ. Feeble Little Horse build on the bedroom-pop bones of the original but freely muddy the waters with distortion and overdriven guitars that transform the song into a cinematic, high-energy bop.
Gaadge takes similar creative liberties with their version of “Tricks.” Here, “Tricks” still definitely sounds 90s alt-rock but has evident roots in Duster’s influence rather than the likes of Pavement. Stripping away the backing Sonic Youth-esque guitar noodling gives lead singer Mitch DeLong plenty of space to insert his cavernous vocals. His vocal delivery is opaque, aiding the smoky guitar riff and acts as an instrument in itself. “I’m chasing a tail that isn’t there/ It keeps circling to break the fall,” sings Delong earnestly as if they were his lyrics. Gaadge’s musical coup d’etat is a success, and “Tricks” sounds like it was theirs all along.
As Feeble Little Horse look into a hopefully prosperous 2022 filled with new releases and breathtaking tours, it’s clear they still gain value digging through the archives of their old material. They may not be an old band, but it’s clear they already have a vault filled with material ripe for release, and we can look forward to that.