Holly Golightly
is a woman who has always loved horses; she was an apprentice jockey in her teens, has trained people in the finer points of riding, and volunteers with a group that rescues abused and neglected horses. So it should come as no surprise that the singer's music would one day reflect this interest, and on 2018's
Clippety Clop
,
Golightly
and her collaborator
Lawyer Dave
(who are
the Brokeoffs
) cover a dozen songs concerning her equine friends. Most of the selections are vintage folk or country numbers, and their structures are a good match for the hardscrabble sound of
Holly
and
Dave
's musical approach, a flinty punk-informed mix of blues, country, and traditional music. The rough-edged simplicity of the production makes
sound like it was recorded on a farm (which it was). Once again, the down-home feel suits the music, and
's vocals are spirited, with a saucy insistence that's sharp but playful. There are also a few surprises on hand, particularly a suitably dour and atmospheric cover of
Red Red Meat
's "Carpet of Horses" and a similarly downbeat take on
the Bad Livers
' "Horses in the Mines." If
's take on these songs is often idiosyncratic, it's also heartfelt, and she and
give this album a sense of scruffy pride, elevating a project that might have seemed like a novelty in other hands.
isn't
's best album with
, but it's most certainly above their average, and she chose the material well enough to make this one of her most satisfying interpretive projects. ~ Mark Deming