The Phoenix Foundation

Horsepower (Caravan)

By Anne C. Johnson
Published: September 4th, 2006 | 11:42pm

Apparently this band is huge in New Zealand or at least critically acclaimed and successful without much commercial radio support. Horsepower was actually released in 2004 in the band’s native New Zealand and was even followed up in 2005 with Pegasus. After being turned down for funding from their own government — normally so supportive of the artistic aspirations of its residents — the Phoenix Foundation, in order to expand their audience, decided to retroactively put out their debut in the US and the UK on their own label. And in that wonderful independent, yet foolhardy tradition, worry about how to finance it later.

The opener, “Sister Risk,” begins as a New Zealand accented Pavement sound-a-like that slowly lifts off into outer space to where a good portion of the album takes place. Horsepower is an appropriate title in that some of the standouts are acoustically driven or stripped down and non-electronic, like the sadly beautiful tale of unrequited love “ The Swarm,” the achingly ambivalent “Sally,” and the Bob Dylan-inspired “Wildlife.” But all is not lost when the robots appear to take over their instruments, as they seem to do on “Bruiser (Miami 4000)” and the languid instrumental “St. Kevin,” which is enchanting, even as it narrowly escapes being New Age space junk.

The Phoenix Foundation are sympathetic characters and hopefully audiences in America and England can embrace their subtle charms, and their endeavors on other shores will be rewarded, at the very least with the indie cred they seem to enjoy in New Zealand.