Imagine psyching yourself up to fight Pulled Apart By Horses’ debut album. Picture its moves: flailing limbs, unhinged swings and, probably, a bit of biting. ‘Tough Love’, though, that’d be a different proposition; more boxing match than street brawl. ‘Blood’, the band’s third album, would be something else again. It’d set its feet and try to knock you the fuck out.
This record will undoubtedly rile dyed-in-the-wool ‘early days’ fans. It’s more considered and certainly more reliant on traditional brute force than its predecessors, with grunge sympathies tied in with hefty stoner rock riffs and hulking minor key melodies. But this evolution has not been one without signposts. In many ways, ‘Blood’ fits perfectly as the band’s next step.
The scattershot time signatures have been toned down, with Lee Vincent and Robert Lee locked in as a rhythm section. Their low end groove underpins every twist and turn and it’s pretty much impossible to avoid the all-too-easy Dave Grohl/KristNovoselic comparison. They wear it well, though.
Their almost symbiotic pairing provides the foundations for Tom Hudson and James Brown to trade leads and some molasses-thick power chords, notably on the driving You Want It and deceptively complex Grim Deal, where the guitar squeals are anchored superbly before being cut loose over another big chorus.
‘Blood’ might be Pulled Apart By Horses’ most direct album to date, and one that will position them closer to the rock mainstream than ever before, but it retains a few important family ties. Lizard Baby’s lyrics are batshit in the best way, Bag Of Snakes employs Hudson’s sandpaper yell while Hot Squash kicks hard in its bridge, shaking loose before being dragged into a hairy, psych-rock hook.
There can be little doubt that this new approach has resulted in some of the band’s idiosyncrasies being sacrificed to the rock gods and, while ‘Blood’ isn’t always as freewheeling as we’ve come to enjoy, the choices here feel unforced. They’re not the band they once were, but the band they are now are pretty hard to ignore.
Pulled Apart by Horses Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows:
Fri November 21 2014 - MANCHESTER Manchester Gorilla
Sat November 22 2014 - GLASGOW Stereo
Mon November 24 2014 - BRIGHTON Haunt
Tue November 25 2014 - BIRMINGHAM Library, Institute
Wed November 26 2014 - BRISTOL THE FLEECE
Fri November 28 2014 - LONDON Heaven
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