Most of the artistic inspiration for I Break Horses's sophomore album, Chiaroscuro, can be found right in plain sight in the title of the album itself. An Italian term for the use of the contrast between darkness and light to create a three-dimensional feel to a work of art, Maria Linden and Frederik Balck have embodied this concept to perfection on their latest LP which we've felt compelled to share. Now, Chiaroscuro, the album and the concept both, have an inherent system of juxtapositions from which they take shape. You can see this played out not only in the production on the album, of which Balck's gorgeous and multi-layered efforts are on full display, but also in the vocals themselves. The optimal balance of clearness and darkness is at the root of this album; the combination of brightness and resonance are colored with warmth and depth. (Just take a listen to tracks such as "You Burn" and "Weigh True Words" for a sense of what they were after). Each song has peaks (lightness) and valleys (darkness) that play across each other and make the other that much stronger. Linden and Balck have also managed to take the concept of Chiaroscuro to a layered sense across the album, by not only playing with the contrasts within songs, but across whole tracks as well. The upbeat, sugar-pop sounds of "Faith" and "Denial" are like peaks of the lightness aspect of Chiaroscuro (and are especially prevalent in Linden's vocals), sticking high above the valley while darker tracks like "Berceuse" and "Medicine Brush" remain firmly rooted in a shadier tone. In a way, one could almost argue this is a concept album. Not from the subject matter of the songs, per se, but from the adherence to a concept that lends itself to the very title of the project. This is a work of art, and a damn fine listen as well. If you're a fan of electronica and have a bit of an indie-rock heart, you'll enjoy the latest offering from I Break Horses. Take a listen to some of the highlights below.
I Break Horses