Horse Thief At The Bowery Ballroom

New York – Wednesday night’s performance at the Bowery Ballroom boasted an ampler turnout than most mid-week shows can successfully attract. The crowded concert hall seemed to imply a gathering of insider indie-traders, graced with the tipoff to see the magnanimous, if yet under appreciated, act on deck. Those in attendance anticipated the great and secret show with unabashed expectancy.

To be clear, the awaited band was not even scheduled to headline the evening. Horse Thief preceded The Paper Kites, yet they stole the night’s spotlight quota with swift and effortless adeptness. Taking the stage around 9PM, Horse Thief delivered a performance that solidified with rapidity the faith of their NYC fan base.

The band hails from Flower Mound, TX, but collectively relocated to Oklahoma City in 2010 to attend the University of Central Oklahoma’s Academy of Contemporary Music. There, the band stumbled upon a hiking trail called Horse Thief, and ever after claimed the name as its own.

Horse Thief is lead singer and guitarist Cameron Neal, guitarist Alex Coleman, keyboardist Zach Zeller, bassist Cody Fowler and percussionist Alberto Roubert. The band released their debut LP, Grow Deep, Grow Wild in 2011. That same year, the band signed to Bella Union, the British record label that is home to indie giants the Flaming Lips. Other esteemed label mates include Midlake, I Break Horses, Marissa Nadler and John Grant. In 2013, Bella Union re-released the group’s LP and, subsequently, the group’s latest endeavor.

Horse Thief’s new record, Fear in Bliss, surface on April 15. Surprisingly, or not, Wednesday night’s set list followed the record to a T. Occupying the stage for less than an hour, Horse Thief linearly cycled through the album with steady precision, thoughtfully omitting only those tracks that might detract from the energy of a live showing.

Performing 8 of the eleven tracks that grace Fear in Bliss, Horse Thief’s time on stage was wholly uncluttered with banter from lead singer Neal. Instead, Neal but thanked his audience concisely before launching into “I Don’t Mind.” Next up was “Human Geographer,” directly followed by “Devil.” The one bit of banter Neal did indulged in came next. “Here’s to you all tonight,” he said, deadpan yet earnest, “You all look beautiful.” No words accompanied the next two cuts, “Already Dead” and “Little Dust,” and for the duration of the show Neal’s long red beard was as immovable as his persona.

After “Little Dust,” the band transitioned silently into what was perhaps the apex song of the evening. “Dead Drum” is at once wistful, nostalgic and harmoniously poignant. The perfect song to soundtrack a Wednesday night love affair with concert going, it had the audience swooning at the beauty of a carefree escape from the fast-paced streets hiding just beyond the Ballroom’s entryway.

The penultimate track was the quiet but forceful cut “Let Go.” This song boasts both a mantra and a call to arms, and performed live it easily mobilizes the masses behind its message. Closing with “Come On,” Horse Thief sent the crowd off into the bustle of NYC’s Lower East Side in a valuably meditative mood.

Clearly, Horse Thief is a band that has dedicated plenteous time to honing its chops. Combining the quiet harmonies of Beach House with the raw power of Mumford & Sons, this is a band for listeners that thrive in quiet cadence yet yearn for a folksier punch to the gut. With just a hint of Robin Pecknold recognizable in Horse Thief’s vocalizing, this band inarguably has it all.

The band is touring North America through July 26th, at which point the boys will jump the pond to continue the adventure in the UK. Major fans of psychedelic alt-folk would be wise to catch this act before it jet sets because although Horse Thief is largely flying under the radar, this certainly won’t be the case

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Liz Rowley

Born in Mexico and raised in Toronto, Jerusalem and Chicago by a pair of journalists, Liz comes to BestNewBands.com with an inherited love of writing. After discovering a niche for herself in music journalism and radio while at Bates College in Maine, she always keeps a running playlist of new music to soundtrack her place in the world. Liz is passionate about helping dedicated, talented musicians gain the exposure they deserve. A recent transplant to Brooklyn from Hawaii, she is plagued by an incurable case of wanderlust and cursed with an affinity for old maps and old things like typewriters and vintage books. She adores photography and running and is very good with plants. Having come of age in Chicago, Wilco speaks to her soul. If she could be anything, she would be a cat in a Murakami novel.