Downpilot - Strange Horses Downpilot

After a two decades of making albums, Downpilot's Paul Hiraga wonders: why would a songwriter write songs if not to make sense of the oddest or most difficult situations we may find ourselves in? With this latest release, “Strange Horses”, he attempts to address the challenges of living in a time of such rapid and mystifying change and its effects upon relationships, the physical world itself, and the unfathomable terrain of the psyche.

His eighth LP is an expertly crafted and truly affecting collection of musical meditations with soundscapes ranging from luscious guitar pop, to intimate, studied Americana. Things kick off with a decisive twang in the compelling and existential opener, “Primitive Skin”, and thus begins a sonic exploration of varied moods, themes, and subjects. Whether we’re in the territory of interpersonal complexity (“Rose Paranoia”), changing landscapes (“Playground”), or the destructive and redemptive force of nature (“September Street”), we are on a ride to an undisclosed but intriguing destination. Each song is its own individual odyssey, and there is not a B-side in the bunch.

“In the Air”, one of the album’s highlights, is a heartbreaking vignette about broken connections with a tender keyboard part that goes straight from the ear to the emotional core. The quirky rhythms and swirling synths of “You Never Fly” suggest the aftermath of a skyborne mystery, and the breezy dreaminess of “Loose Change” serves up a tinge of Latin-laced sunshine pop. Violinist Melinda Rice adds an appropriate ‘strangeness’ to the closing track, in a soaring and expansive finale.

”Strange Horses” was written, recorded and mixed by Hiraga himself (vocals, guitar, keyboards, bass and drums) in Seattle and Whidbey Island WA, and features appearances by longtime collaborators Anne Marie Ruljancich (Walkabouts), Lars Plogschties, Terry de Castro (Wedding Present), Jeff Brown, and Melinda Rice, with newcomer Will Thomas (Dive Index) providing synth textures.

Hiraga has never shied away from asking the ‘big’ questions, like ‘who are we?’ and ‘where did we come from?,’ but with this latest Downpilot album he attempts to offer up some answers:
We are the strange horses. We come from another time.