As Race Horses are a band from Aberystwyth (although now residing in Cardiff), who write concept EPs and now release a debut album which is a collage of an old sailor’s memories, you’d expect them to be an interesting listen. That they are, but much, much more besides. Lead track Man In My Mind is a Super Furry Animals type pop moment, complete with xylophone crashing down the stairs to accentuate the heady pop rush. Cake combines Beatles early pop, with some of the psychedelia of the later era. At the end of the day, it’s the pop that wins through. Pony is effortlessly Welsh skewed sunshine surf pop, while Isle Of Ewe is off kilter upbeat folk, seen through a psychedelic sheen. Cacen Magmu starts dementedly, before turning into a brass comforted homefires pop tune, which alternates with Sgt Pepper Beatles. Glo Ac Oren is slow paced, reflective and with beautiful harmonies, Man In My Mind/In A Party Near You is harmony filled breakneck pop, lyrics jabbered ten to the dozen and Scooter reminds me of much maligned Liverpool band The Stairs, and a little if early Coral. Intergalatic Space Rebellion is a surf keyboard space instrumental and Captain Penelope Smith is ELO style odd psych, with a similar strange imagination and ear for a melody. Marged Wedi Blino is a light flavoured chirpy pop thing, which turns into a hymnal elegy, a suitably epic way to round off a fantastic album.
Goodbye Falkenburg is out now on Fantastic Plastic
Race Horses myspace is here
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