Welcome to Year of the Horse. Welcome to the year of Cor de Lux. Following three singles that showcased their range, the North Carolina band return with their third album, their first on Ipecac Recordings, produced by J. Robbins. Across nine tracks, post-punk, noise rock, shoegaze and 90s alternative rock come together, pairing abrasive guitars with a keen sense of melody.
But underneath all those sharp guitars, distortion and unpredictable rhythms is an album that cares about people. Year of the Horse looks at an increasingly polarised society, where people become entrenched in their beliefs and selfishness and intolerance keep winning out over empathy. That concern was already there in the search for authenticity in “Blind Smile“, the critique of materialism in “The Cringe” and the political satire of “The Deli“. “Cannibals” takes it a step further: those who still care about others end up being devoured by those who want to control everything, even the air we breathe. Its muscular bass and near-obsessive repetition recall the post-hardcore of Fugazi and Unwound, while the fuzz-laden guitars add a touch of psychedelic garage rock.
“Ping Pong”, meanwhile, keeps things personal, exploring the wear and tear of relationships and how the excitement of the early days never quite comes back. It opens with delicate indie rock built around a circular riff with a distinctly Sonic Youth feel, gradually building towards a cathartic finale where Dawn Moraga and Tim Lusk trade vocals back and forth, like one of those arguments that always end up back at square one. The passage of time also weighs on “Bread Bag”, which uses everyday details such as wilted plants and a bread bag left untwisted to explore anxiety, other people’s expectations and the fear of being left behind. Its warm, intertwining guitars bring to mind Sonic Youth at their most melodic, particularly on “Incinerate“.
“The Western” is a blast of noise pop and punk-rooted alternative rock, with stinging riffs, a frantic pace and an unexpectedly bright melody. “Long Face People” sounds jittery and almost playful despite its dissonance, while its lyrics, full of images of floating and drowning, evoke someone being swept along by the currents of life.
“Strawberries” closes the album in style, with delicate melodies and enveloping guitars, leaving its questions about fear, change and letting go of the past hanging in the air. Cor de Lux don’t offer easy answers, but they do offer something in short supply in the world they portray: humanity. And they do so without turning down the volume or sanding off the rough edges, with the kind of electricity that makes Year of the Horse an album proud of all its contradictions.
Listen to Year of the Horse in full here.
COR DE LUX LIVE:
October 7 – Philadelphia, PA @ Ortileb’s
October 8 – Brooklyn, NY @ The Broadway
October 10 -Toronto, ON @ Lee’s Palace
October 11 – Detroit, MI @ El Club
October 13 – Chicago, IL @ Outset
October 14 – St. Paul, MN @ Turf Club
October 15 – Davenport, IA @ Racoon Motel
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