Horsegirl: Phoenetics On and On (digital outlets)

Elsewhere was very enthusiastic about the 2022 debut Versions of Modern Performance by this trio of young women out of Chicago (singer/guitarist Penelope Lowenstein still in high school at the time).

It ended up in our picks for the best albums of that year because it was more than just energetic alt.rock. It came with side-helpings of New Wave sensibilities, noise and distortion, airy pop and a brief piano piece.

This sophomore album – produced by Cate Le Bon who nudged Wilco, Kurt Vile and others into more experimentation – downplays Horsegirl's adventurous aspects, their residual noise dialled back in favour of space and sonic clarity (the spiky opener Where'd You Go, the reductively moody In Twos), youthful anxieties (Well I Know You're Shy, I Can't Stand to See You) and post-punk pop (Julie, Frontrunner).

Flying Nun aficionados will note Switch Over (Look Blue Go Purple, anyone?), other references include Kurt Cobain favourites the Raincoats (the minimalist Rock City and annoyingly catchy 2468).

The guitar intrusions undermine the idea of a “solo”.

Some of their debut's untempered exuberance has been lost in the transition but there's undeniable charm in the alt.pop here.

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You can hear and buy this album at bandcamp here.