The Horse's Say Ha

The Horse's Ha was formed in 2002, when British ex-patriot James Elkington and just South of the Mason Dixon ex-patriot Janet Beveridge Bean met at a Chicago concert and started discussing the concept of playing other people's songs in expensive wine bars for money. A set-list of roughly 20 standards was drawn up and then greadually abandoed over the course of a year as James started to write original songs for Janet to sing. They soon joined forces with stellar Chicago musicians Fred Lonberg-Hom, Nick Macri, and Charles Rumback to create more original material. By 2008 work began on Of the Cathamawr Yards and was eventually pieced together over the course of several weeks in the heart of Chicago.

Combining elements of jazz and folk, Of the Cathamawr Yards is a quiet, intimate recording that sort of has this wilderness lodge feel to it. In other words, it has this rustic air about it that sounds a bit sophisticated and mysterious. It's intriguing stuff that sounds as if it's barely there most of the time and you have to wonder if the album really intends to be anything more than background music for wine bars or lodges. Whatever it's choice it's entertaining stuff.

Unobtrusive and filled with swoonsome vocals that whisper across the songs, Of the Cathamawr Yards is like the best kept secret around. And it's not until you dig a little deeper that you start to uncover the darker side of The Horse's Ha. With songs about diva's digging their own graves, mother nature striking back, and words of warning from witches, Of the Cathamawr Yards is a haunting little record that buries it's feelings deep within. It's a clever little trick that The Horse's Ha use just to see if you are paying attention to them. Sure, Of the Cathamawr Yards functions well as beautiful background music but it also works well as an album packed with dramatic and climactic stories that are filled with woe.

Secretly dramatic and quietly cool, The Horse's Ha are a fascinating group that takes a host of influences and crafts songs out of them in a completely subversive way that works as either music for a sophisticated place or a dark room lit by candlelight. Of the Cathamawr Yards is an album of contrasts that doesn't reveal itself unless you pay attention and that's what makes it such a great listen. Mysteriously sneaky stuff, Of the Cathamawr Yards will capture your imagination.