Strum

In the words of multi-instrumentalist, teacher and 9 Horses founder Joe Brent, this “record is called Strum because every tune prominently features the sound of a plucked or strummed instrument: mandolins, guitars, basses, banjos, pianos, and including instruments that usually aren’t thought of that way like violins, drums, even people.” Not exactly a fusion-jazz band, chambergrass group or post-classical chamber ensemble, 9 Horses is a herd of one. The title-track embarks on a sprawling adventure across softly poetic passages, rocking anthemic choruses, psychedelic grooves and straight ahead jazz. Guided by Brent’s mandolin, ‘Americannia’ starts out as a bluegrass ballad, which introduces Sara Caswell’s exquisitely melodic violin, before morphing into a science fiction country song complete with lap steel and finishing with a bluesy romp that trails off into tubular space (trust me; it’s all there). There is much to love about this imaginative, eclectic, eight-track album.