Brown Horse albums
Band Members:
Patrick Turner (lead vocals, guitar), Emma Tovell (lead vocals, lap steel, banjo), Rowan Braham (piano, accordion), Nyle Holihan (bass), Ben Auld (drums, percussion, 2022-present), Phoebe Troup (backing vocals, violin, 2023-present)
Biggest Influences:
Uncle Tupelo, Sun Volt, Drive by Truckers, Emmylou Harris, Neil Young, John Hiatt, Black Heart Procession
2024
Reservoir - 82%
Brown Horse are an English band that sound very American, seeing as how they play a version of Americana very influenced by Uncle Tupelo and Neil Young. Young’s patience shows through on the slow paced and yearly story telling of “Stealing Horses”, as lead singer Patrick Turner lures us in with his intimate words and unique horse vocal delivery. Most songs on the album have this sort of laid-back quality, but the band is very good at drawing us into their world with folk rock, late night sort of campfire tales- see the groovy “Shoot Back” the ballad “Everlasting”. The middle section of the album holds the most power, with “Bloodstain” telling a sort of horror story in the murder ballad traditions of songwriters like Nick Cave or Black Heart Procession.
“Paul Gilley” does win you over, despite the super languid pace, and best of all “Sunfisher” is their supreme version of a song that really revs up as it goes, ending with fiddles flying and guitars squealing. The final three songs are interesting as well, if not quite as fully formed I still enjoy “Silver Bullet” as a briefer tune showing not every song needs to be five minutes long and “Outtakes” is the final sort of country rock song ruled my many lead guitar lines. “Reservoir” and “Called Away” are the two songs I would say do not quite work. In all, a promising debut form a band full of stories and ideas that stand out in a sea of Americana type bands.
Best Songs: Sunfisher, Shoot Back, Bloodstain
2025
All the Right Weaknesses – 89%
I love this album so much but ahhhh its in the wrong order I swear! Here is how it should be listened to:-
1.All the Right Weaknesses
2.Curse
3.Radio Free Bolinas
4.Wipers
5.Far Off Places
6.Corduroy Couch
7.Verna Blooom
8. Tombland (this one was correct)
9. Holy Smokes
10.Wisteria Vine
11.Dog Rose
I’m telling ya, it plays better on shuffle then in the order these English blokes have it 😉 but whatever, what matters is the second album by this group is probably the second-best country rock record of the year 2025! This group has grown from their debut, which was perhaps a bit too undernourished at times but still pointed the way to a group that new their stuff and had great ideas at the helm of lead singer Patrick Turner. “Verna Bloom” weaves in at out of drunken haze, “Holy Smokes” is pure backwoods joy though its brief it is instantly hummable. “Far Off Places” is not far behind, feeling that it could be played at a hoedown between friends in the barn behind the farm but its an original song that effortlessly feels alive in our current times.
For all of the old school country and bluegrass feelings, there are songs on here that push the group to the future. “Radio Free Bolinas” propels with a nice rock n roll drum attack and then the chorus is all instrumental noise and bliss, merging different genres all in one song and creating music that truly evokes feelings. “Dog Rose” is an atmospheric slow jam, almost Sonic Youth meets Neil Young meets some sort of drugged out John Lennon ramble, changing tempo and changing forms several times and building intensity like an emotional attack by Built to Spill; in other words it bring much of the 20th century into the 21st and makes all rock n roll stop for a minute and think. “All the Right Weaknesses” basically remakes a Kingsbury Manx song (obscure to some, but one of the best bands ever form North Carolina, just an observation of my own)…but how cool is that?!? In all there some songs I haven’t mentioned, like “Wipers”, Curse” or “Tombland” but all these songs put a dart straight in the bullseye on a fun night out and this group is destined to make its mark in the future.
Best Songs: Radio Free Bolinas, Dog Rose, Far Off Places, Holy Smokes
2026
Total Dive - 60%
Well, after the amazing blend of Americana and Neil Young inspired guitar on the first two albums the band shows us what can happen when you follow up too quickly making 3 albums in three years. While nothing is awful here and the guitar work is often amazing (“Comeback Loading” and “Total Dive”) most of this lacks real staying power. They just need to wait for the time to think up more great songs next time. All I hear is Zuma Zuma Zuma.
Best Songs: Comeback Loading, Total Dive