Demand To Be Taken To Heaven Alive!

Description

Demand to Be Taken to Heaven Alive! by Horse Lords is incredibly precise and deeply human. The twelve tracks that make up the album are of great tonal and rhythmic complexity, creating a sonic labyrinth with an irresistible groove. Artists are not necessarily scientists, logicians, or spiritual guides, but through their personal understanding of order and experience, they offer experiential access to heightened states of consciousness. Founded in Baltimore in 2010, Horse Lords emerged from another group called Teeth Mountain, and began as a trio with guitarist Owen Gardner, bassist Max Eilbacher, and drummer Sam Haberman, who were soon joined by alto saxophonist Andrew Bernstein. Although the quartet was born from a noise and experimental rock scene, a milieu rich in artists and outsiders that gave rise to many influential underground bands (Lungfish, Matmos), their approach, across six albums, various collaborations, and notable live performances, has proven more eclectic than the pointillist rhythms of instrumental electric rock might suggest. For this new opus, they are joined by bass clarinetist Madison Greenstone, trombonist Weston Olencki, and, a first for Horse Lords, the voices of Nina Guo and Evelyn Saylor. The choice of titles is always laden with meaning, and Demand to Be Taken to Heaven Alive! is no exception: transcendence and elevation are inherent to the music, and if all art is political, Horse Lords' aspirations are optimistic and community-focused. Transformation and reinterpretation are not merely a compositional strategy but a philosophical perspective, as evidenced by themes such as "A City Yet To Come," the title track, or the utopian references scattered throughout the album. The tension between the aspiration for an ideal and what constitutes our lived reality is also palpable, as demonstrated by the influence of Mahmoud Darwish's poem "The Earth Is Closing in on Us" in "After the Last Sky," which uses the Palestinian case to problematize the group's utopian quest, acknowledging that it rests on a sense of security inaccessible to many. Demand to Be Taken to Heaven Alive! contains many sonic and conceptual layers, but given the undeniable power and humanity of their music, exploring them is a deeply rewarding experience. Rare are the records that seize us immediately and offer a completely new experience with each listen.