New Music: Whyte Horses - I Saw The Light

This evening I’ll be going not just to a gig, but an experience. That’s how it’s billed. It’s the Whyte Horses Experience at the Southbank Centre in London. An ambitious show to play for any band, particularly one that relatively speaking hasn’t played live that many times. Promising special guests that include La Roux, Badly Drawn Boy, members of the Go! Team, Melanie Pain of Nouvelle Vague, the St Barts Choir and a special mystery guest there’s certainly a suggestion of something a bit more than your average concert. Keep an eye on my Twitter (here) where no doubt I’ll post something about the show afterwards.

In preparation for the gig Whyte Horses recently released their take on the Todd Rungren track I Saw The Light which was on his 1972 album Something / Anything? It’s a song that didn’t feature on the band’s 60’s infused album of pop brilliance Empty Words but very much fits in the style of that record – there’s hints of psychedelia, 60's French pop and everything recorded is kept within a framework of melody and sweetness.

Whyte Horses sound very much comes across as a bunch of pop geeks playing music for other pop geeks – and that suits me perfectly. There's a handful of tickets left for tonight's show if you want to go which you can grab by clicking here.

Whyte Horses - I Saw The Light

New Music: Whyte Horses - The Best Of It (Featuring La Roux)

Stop what you are doing and press play now! There’s only a bloody new La Roux track on line! In fact it’s been there for a handful of days, but it seems that I never got the message. 

OK, let’s calm down, it’s not really a new La Roux track, it’s a song from elusive Manchester musical project Whyte Horses who you may remember from their colourfully brilliant debut album Pop Or Not. If you missed that record it’s worth a listen – it’s the kind of long-player that sounds like nothing has been skimped on, referencing classic 60’s pop of both the British and French kinds, swirling psychedelia and twisted experimental dance. It sounds like a record made by people who are very well versed in the history of pop music and has, in certain quarters, become a bit of a cult classic. Imagine The Go Team! and Belle and Sebastian having a celebratory hug and that is where Whyte Horses are born from.

Having already released Empty Words, the title track of their forthcoming LP (two minutes and thirty-two seconds of a gem of a pop tune) now we get The Best of It (featuring La Roux). Based on just these two songs I’m calling it early and suggesting we might have another contender for those end of year album lists on our hands. It’s the sort of song that it’s just too easy to throw the word timeless at, but I’m doing it anyway. Listen to The Best of It. Then back track to Empty Words. Then if you missed it first time round dive into Pop Or Not. All come highly recommended.

Whyte Horses have only ever played a handful of live shows, but if you are in London you may like to go and see them this September 13th at the Royal Festival Hall. Special guests are pretty much guaranteed.

Whyte Horses - The Best Of It (Featuring La Roux)