http://thunderguy.com/bennett/2006/04/06/out-of-the-moon-goldenhorse/ I reserve the right to be wrong. Thu, 10 May 2012 00:46:58 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 http://thunderguy.com/bennett/2006/04/06/out-of-the-moon-goldenhorse/comment-page-1/#comment-5559 Julian Brown Wed, 14 Mar 2007 20:02:29 +0000 http://www.thunderguy.com/bennett/2006/04/06/out-of-the-moon-goldenhorse/#comment-5559 I agree. Goldenhorse are (probably) the most talented band in either hemisphere just now. Its surprising and a shame that hardly anyone outside their native New Zealand has even heard of them. What marks them out, in my view, is their ability to create haunting, absolutely original melodic lines over harmonic progressions that are way, way off the well-trodden track and yet completely recognizable as superb music ideas. We are talking really long phrases here - something that only works when the music is really going somewhere - rather than the we-are-trying-to-hypnotise you-by-repeating-the-same-trivial-mantra-again-and-again that most commercial pop is based upon these days. This, their second album, isn't quite as good as Riverhead, but since it represents only a year of creative achievement - much shorter than the period that predated their debut album, there is no reason to fear that their magic pool of ideas is drying out yet. Oh yes, I almost forgot to tell you that the lead singer Kirsten Morell has an absolutely fantastic voice - think the athleticism of Kate Bush combined with the cuteness appeal of Blondie and the smooth honey of Karen Carpenter. I agree. Goldenhorse are (probably) the most talented band in either hemisphere just now. Its surprising and a shame that hardly anyone outside their native New Zealand has even heard of them. What marks them out, in my view, is their ability to create haunting, absolutely original melodic lines over harmonic progressions that are way, way off the well-trodden track and yet completely recognizable as superb music ideas. We are talking really long phrases here – something that only works when the music is really going somewhere – rather than the we-are-trying-to-hypnotise you-by-repeating-the-same-trivial-mantra-again-and-again that most commercial pop is based upon these days.
This, their second album, isn’t quite as good as Riverhead, but since it represents only a year of creative achievement – much shorter than the period that predated their debut album, there is no reason to fear that their magic pool of ideas is drying out yet.
Oh yes, I almost forgot to tell you that the lead singer Kirsten Morell has an absolutely fantastic voice – think the athleticism of Kate Bush combined with the cuteness appeal of Blondie and the smooth honey of Karen Carpenter.

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