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THREE LEGGED HORSE: Down

This Auckland group’s brand of alt-country/rock/blues has been in development since they formed only a year or so ago. Their self-produced debut relies mostly on acoustic-based songs, intermingled with a couple of heavier, harder tracks that help keep the listener’s interest. The vocals of Bede Taylor and Gina Higham are an unusual mix – Taylor’s deep sandpapered tones and Higham’s bluesy huskiness shouldn’t necessarily sound good together, but the combination is surprisingly effective. Lyrically ‘Down’ is occupied with loss and love, but murder is prominent on Seventh Daughter, the litany of killings bringing Nick Cave to mind, although without the murderous relish present in his treatments. The heavier tracks, Junkie for Your Shame and Hate are in the blues rock genre, and help to break up the somewhat repetitive acoustic tracks. As a bonus the band have included a sparse, live version of Hurt, which reverberates with regret and loss, while plainly attempting to emulate Johnny Cash’s peerless rendering. Although Three Legged Horse have obviously put time and effort into ‘Down’ it suffers from too much similarity and a slightly unfinished feeling – perhaps a little rushed in all respects.

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