They Shoot Horses Don’t They?: Boo Hoo Hoo Boo (Kill Rock Stars)

I assume that Vancouver, B.C.’s They Shoot Horses Don’t They? is named for the 1969 movie where Jane Fonda plays a contestant in a dance marathon. It’s a fitting name as I picture their live shows as exhausting, spastic exertions—this is a band I need to see live. After a jilting, comparatively low-key opener, Boo Hoo Hoo Boo launches into full-on wacky land on the excellent second track, “Hiccup.” This is a band that knows how to have fun: Shouting group vocals and psychedelic horn parts show up on nearly every track, adding to the chaos. While most of the lyrics are repeated into absurdity, they don’t lack in the clever department as demonstrated on “Lowlife”: “Is that your arm or is that your leg, how did you get so bent out of shape.” Several tracks stand out, but I think my favorite is the closer “Apple,” a psychedelic march into oblivion that would make John Philip Sousa proud.

(www.theyshoothorses.org) 7 Blips out of 10 By Nate Daly