REVIEW: Nineteen Hand Horse “Revel”

Nineteen Hand Horse – Revel

For a Friday Night or Saturday Night out with the gang, this ain’t a bad record at all. Nineteen Hand Horse, to me, are the perfect band to go see when you’re in the mood to just watch the show from your table sipping some decent wine, but open to being seduced to the dance floor with the right company. Given the age range of the band, Revel is not a young and edgy record. And that’s okay. The lyrics and hooks are well-crafted enough to deserve your contemplation at any age.

“Just Another Honky Tonk Night” pays tribute to all the legends, Wayon, Cash, etc, without coming off like a Spotify advertisement. It’s a damn fine song to kick the night in gear, especially with Kevin Gallagher’s pedal steel layering the golden sunshine honey on thick, and in just the right places. 

Fronted by songwriting pair Nathalie Archangel (vocals) and Mark Montijo (vocals, guitar), both with considerable multi-platinum songwriting chops, “Better As a Goddess (Than a Lover)” is a genuine Friday night pop dancer. Pure unashamed 45-degree tilted camera 90’s pop-country. Why not?

Make no mistake,  Nineteen are not afraid to lay the F-word on thick. The title track ‘Revel’ takes aim at millennial entitlement, American Idol stars, and validation addiction: “Revel in your irrelevance. Fuck the kids, and everything that they say.”

Across the board, Revel seems to find its place with one foot in the present and the other in the past without it ruining a good buzz, especially with the well-thought-out chorus melodies, and crafted harmonies. Renowned locally for their riveting live performances, Nineteen Hand Horse are soon to host a regular YouTube show entitled “Horsin’ ‘Round @ The Songbird Lounge” which will be filmed at Consumer Music Studio in Vallejo, California. It is loosely modeled on “The Marty Stuart Show” and a Bay Area-flavored “Hee Haw.” Nathalie states that she believes in setting the bar at “nearly unattainable.” 

Goes great with Fleetwood Mac, Brooks and Dunn

Backed by: Mark Anthony Montijo (Vocals, Guitar), Mark “Lemonade” Monroe (Vocals, Harmonica, Sax), Ralph Ruiz (Bass), Brad Sears (Vocals, Guitar, Banjo), Lowell Stephenson (Vocals, Drums), James “Jae-E” Early (Guitar, Bass, Keys, Drum programming), Kevin Gallagher (Pedal Steel, Lap Steel Dobro), Ann Hebert Gilleran (Fiddle), Cedric Jensen (Drums), Wes Little (Drums), Wes Theobold (Guitar), Brian Vandermark (Vocals, Acoustic Bass), the ‘Revel’s’ production and playing is a considerable collaboration. This record is out May 21st on all major music platforms. Get it at https://www.nineteenhandhorse.com/