Graham Reid | | <1 min read
When I Was Younger
This is a weighty 18 song double album of heartache mixed with some of life's pleasures which is best when judiciously sampled, otherwise this can feel like a long ride with the Horsemen which only occasionally breaks into a canter.
The Horsemen are a folk-Americana semi-supergroup – solo artist/singer-songwriter Anaïs Mitchell, multi-instrumentalists Eric D. Johnson (formerly of Fruit Bats and the Shins) and Josh Kaufmann – and this is their third album.
Mitchell has a commanding, distinctive voice which bends to upbeat country (Hare and Hound) or the more personal emotions (Lover Take It Easy), pop elements keep the mood buoyant (Old Dutch) to temper the overall reflective tone (Singing to the Mandolin, Into the O).
Mitchell and Johnson make for a domestic pairing of sweet and scratchy (Rock the Cradle) and there are nuggets throughout (When I Was Younger, Speak to Me Muse, Your Arms All the Time).
A long ride but one with some very interesting digressions to keep the attention, mostly.
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You can hear and buy this album at bandcamp here
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