For those who do not already know, Horse Jumper of Love is one of the finer rock acts in the Boston area. They recently announced that their 2013-2014 demo compilation is now up on streaming services, and that Disposable America would be putting together another cassette tape run of the record. I did not even realize that it has been almost three years since their first studio record came out, so needless to say, I am really happy that this is accessible outside of bandcamp for the first time.
I think they said in a video somewhere that they call their music "slowcore" or something of that matter. I'd say so. Their emotional, slacker rock does the soul good. As for their Demo Anthology, the overall sound of the record is definitely more minimalist. This can be heard in the more stripped-down versions of "Bagel Breath", "DIRT", and "Ugly Brunette", which would go on to earn spots on HJOL's studio record. I will certainly emphasize the word "Demo" here, but I enjoyed this album nonetheless.
The flow is rather smooth for a compilation they probably pieced together from scattered recordings. That is a feat in itself. Tracks like "86", "Community College", and "Orange Peel (Make-out Version)" among others even serve as ambient transitions throughout. The meat of the album goes down between the sprawling noise. I wish "It's Nice" was longer. It's a treat.
I am not sure what HJOL has planned for 2019. They just did a string of dates with The Spirit of the Beehive, so it's looking good to me. Demo Anthology is available now on streaming services and cassette. I'd say you should give it a try.
Follow Horse Jumper of Love