Sea Horses - 1989-1992

Sea Horses - 1989-1992Sea Horses were (approximately) pitched to me as “haunted britfolk filtered through a late 1980s 4AD lens.” And yeah, I’ll go along with that enticing description. And I’ll go one further by saying that they makle me think: what if the Bronte Sisters joined the Smiths?! Let your imagination fill in the rest of the blanks. Sea Horses floated around the fertile Manchester scene for a few years, and the 1989-1992 compilation gathers a captivating “best-of” from the three records they released during that time. The crystalline three-part harmonies of Clare Williams and twin sisters Jo and Liz Bromley are the initial draw, blending elements of Maddy Prior, Kate Bush and Liz Fraser (and even looking ahead to later groups like Espers). Meanwhile, the gorgeous — and occasionally fairly ambitious — arrangements dazzle, with sparkling guitars and keys and an imaginative rhythm section. It all feels dream-like and sometimes spooky, perfect sounds for autumn.