One of the greatest crossroads in the avenue of storytelling and music in my opinion is the virtual band. Bands that only exist on a purely narrative level as a character of sorts for artists to try out different ideas or just create something wholly unique. Some of the most popular throughout the years have included The Chipmunks, The Archies, The Gorillaz, and Now I’m adding Neon Horse to that list.
Neon Horse is the brainchild of guitar wiz and indie rock legend (at least in some circles) Jason Martin along with vocalist Mark Salomon. I actually had the opportunity to interview Mark Salomon and he mentioned that the intention when creating this band was to be an old school Christian rock band but with the twist of everything being a little distorted and off kilter. In this the band succeeded brilliantly, particularly on their second album “Haunted Horse” which is equal parts grandiose 70’s arena rock, surreal imagery, and Sunday School. That’s right on this album you get to hear Norman Horse (the alter ego Mark Salomon created for the project, just listen for the voice that kind of sounds like he just crawled out of a whisky barrel) give his own spin on classic Sunday School lessons and the results are often weird but still insightful. The album kicks off with “When Daddy Gets Home” giving us the previously mentioned 70’s rock vibe with the drums and guitar providing a wonderful backdrop for Mark’s vocals. And those vocals are honestly the star of the show. Mark Salomon pulls off at least three distinct voices during the whole recording and it truly gives the illusion of multiple vocalists being in the band to such a degree that prior to the identity of the band members becoming more public many reviewers were convinced that there had to be more than one vocalist in the band. The music is a splendid mix of the previously mentioned guitar riffs and drums that particularly stand out on songs like “Strange Town”, “Cell-O-Phone” and “I Don’t Need anything”. In addition we also get some delightful bass work courtesy of Steven Dail that borders close to disco on “Some Folks” and synths that really shine on the electronic heavy “Comin Up Theventh” and when used as a horn line on “Chain Gang, Bang Bang”. These instruments and at times goofy voices all set the stage perfectly for the lyrics of the album. It may not be super obvious if you aren’t familiar but several songs directly reference or recap stories from the Bible. Some of the highlights in this category include “Strange Town” being an interesting spin on The Story of the Prodigal Son, really focusing on the terror he must have felt after running out of money and friends and being stranded in a strange place. “‘Haven’t Sinned In Years!” parallels Jesus’ parable about the vineyard owner who leaves his vineyard to be taken care of by hired help and features some wonderfully manic vocals that may remind you of a circus ringleader. Other lyrics on the album just reference general themes of the Bible such as “I don’t need anything” being on one of my favorite topics, gaining more wealth, more power, more for yourself and then realizing as the book of Ecclesiastes says “Vanity, vanity, it’s all vanity. The song “Chain Gang, Bang Bang” may be my favorite cut on the album where the theme of sin enslaving you is very evident, complete with the sounds of cracking whips and the hilarious but still though provoking line “Everybody come along! We're jumpin' off a cliff! It's only kinda fun – that's why we brought the whip”. Every time I hear this song I can’t help but picture that scene in the original Pinocchio where the boys start turning into donkeys and are led away to work in the mines. Sometimes artists with ideas that seem like they have no chance of working together come together and just make something great. That’s what the people involved with the Neon Horse project did and I can’t help but be impressed especially by this album of theirs that revitalizes tales as old as time and helps me at least to look at things in a new and interesting way while being wildly entertaining. Suggested Tracks: Strange Town ‘Haven’t Sinned In Years! Change Gang, Bang Bang I Don't Need Anything
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