Horsegirl — the New York-via-Chicago trio of best friends Nora Cheng, Penelope Lowenstein, and Gigi Reece — release their second album Phonetics On and On, 11 songs which experiment with space and texture, all while maintaining a pop song at the core. These are songs to dance to.
Produced by Cate Le Bon and recorded at The Loft in Chicago, Horsegirl’s original and sonic home, Phonetics On and On is an exploration of the lines between pop, minimalism, and playful experimentation. In the fall of 2022, Cheng, Lowenstein and Reece relocated to New York City, and this new environment is reflected in the sonic fabric of the record, being the first time the band had written music outside of Penelope’s parents’ basement.
When they returned to Chicago to record in January 2024, they found a focus and intimacy in the studio that can only arise when it’s simply too cold to step outside. With the help of Le Bon, the group expands into new, bright, clear, sonic territories, with new tools utilised to bring this world to life as violins, synths, and gamelan tiles are all woven into the record.
Horsegirl is a band of best friends; being around them you can see that love in their eyes and it is always a joyous thing to witness. It’s a love that is ever-present in Phonetics On and On as tenderness reverberates back and forth across the recording. It’s hard to imagine these songs being written by anyone but these three. Horsegirl writes with an unanticipated honesty, leading us through scenes of girlhood and youth. These are the moments of their lives.
Stream / download Phonetics On and On here.
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