Any musician worth his salt will be open to adapting and adjusting their style as time moves on. Doing the same thing over and over will only create a short-lived career. Our recent find Last Charge of the Light Horse has been at it for quite a while and keeps evolving. This is very evident in their latest release The Sand Reckoner
The project was originally formed back in 2004 as an outlet for songwriter Jean-Paul Vest. His style has always been a little off-beat from the common pop sound providing quite an interesting discography. The sound of Last Charge of the Light Horse seems to be constantly in motion as time passes on. Much like the music, the lineup of the group has evolved over the years. Starting as a trio including Artie and A. J. Riegger, the stage lineup has expanded to a quartet, with Vest currently joined by drummer Shawn Murray, lead guitarist Bob Stander, and bassist Pemberton Roach. West-coast pals Jim Watts and Pam Aronoff have also become regular contributors on the group’s releases.
The most recent release is the full-length The Sand Reckoner. The 11 track record is a full journey into Last Charge of the Light Horse. Opening with “Just Once” our ears are opened to the exotic mix of sounds we are about to hear. Noises seem to come from every angle to fill the sonic tapestry. Minds become wide open.
The lyrical songwriting skills come to the surface on “Choose Now”. Emotional singing over a powerful guitar strum brings the depth to new heights. Jean-Paul Vest is laying it all on the table. Last Charge of the Light Horse slows it down with “Chocolate and Cherries” but the emotional energy remains. These are songs to really dive into.
An experimental beat on “Midnight Parking Lot” brings thoughts of Radiohead to mind. The intricacies of the instrumentation forces the listener to sit back and try to take it all in at once. There is a LOT going on here. The diversity of the Last Charge of the Light Horse sound is exemplified on “The Bill Comes Due” as we get acoustic vibes with an almost experimental country tone.
The album closes with the elegant “April Morning”. It is the relaxing hushed tone we need to come down from The Sand Reckoner. This is absolutely a record that should be listened to as a whole. Dive in to more on their FACEBOOK page.
