I Break Horses – “Neon Lights”
Last month, Maria Lindén announced her new album as I Break Horses, Warnings. It had been nearly six years since we’d heard a new I Break Horses song, so Lindén made up for lost time by releasing two in quick succession — first the sprawling, atmospheric “Death Engine” and then the poppier “I’ll Be The Death Of You” just a week later. (Both songs ranked amongst our favorites in their respective weeks.) And now, Lindén’s back with another one.
The newest preview of Warnings is called “Neon Lights.” “An anthem for all of us who have ever felt like we didn’t fit in,” Lindén said of the song. “It is trying to give a glimpse of hope to all outsiders who feel like they can’t find their way and to show the world that being a ‘misfit’ is a beautiful thing, not something to be pushed aside.”
Musically, “Neon Lights” sure as hell lives up to its name. If “I’ll Be The Death Of You” still swam in the smeared, otherworldly textures that usually define I Break Horses while still amplifying its hooks, “Neon Lights” goes even further. While the verses are gauzy, pretty passages, the chorus is all pulsating, luminous synths. And the moment about four minutes in when the beat crashes back in and Lindén starts singing around variations of the title is basically pure euphoria. There is always something melancholic about I Break Horses songs, but “Neon Lights” also successfully conjures those city nights where the doorways of countless clubs and bars are lit up in a special way, post-storm or in the mist. I don’t know about you, but I could use a song like that right now. Check it out below.
Warnings is out 5/8 via Bella Union. Pre-order it here.