I’m going to let you in a little secret: hipsters love to know about things before you do. This is especially true when it comes to up-and-coming local bands. I can’t say I don’t feel a little thrill of satisfaction when I mention the Oklahoma indie rock group Horse Thief to someone--only to be met with a furrowed brow of confusion.



“Horse what?” they ask.



I usually to keep a good thing to myself, Horse Thief is a band that I wish to have infinite success. I want to hear their songs on the radio and wear t-shirts with their faces on them and have pe smirk in reply. Maybe I’m a hipster. Gasp.

While I would loveople know who they are. Basically, I’ve been obsessed with them since my freshman year when I happened upon their live concert outside the Oklahoma Memorial Union on a warm August evening.



Who is this kooky-looking ginger man with a strange but melodious voice and the beard of Zach Galifinakis? I remember wondering. I bought their first album, Grow Deep, Grow Wild and played the s*** out of it for a year until I saw them live again at Norman Music Festival (NMF) last May. Lead singer Cameron Neal (aka “kooky ginger”) and Co. put on a fantastic show. And they don’t need fancy lights or auto tune to do it. At NMF I heard a couple of tracks from their 2014 release Fear in Bliss under Bella Union Records. I was pleasantly surprised that it was the same sound with new and engaging lyrics and melodies.

All too often, bands find it necessary to change their image or experiment with different styles before they settle into what they deem fit. However, putting on the new album felt like donning an old, worn sweater: comfortable and enjoyable. Neal’s warbly voice is woven with the timeless quality of folky Americana that makes it perfect for rainy days or long road trips down I-35.

A couple songs automatically stood out to me as favorites, such as “I Don’t Mind,” “Devil,” and the lamenting, haunting track “Already Dead.”

“I don’t think that I will ever see you, unless there really is a God, a heaven for us all,” Neal croons. That’s deep.

One thing that Horse Thief does really well is how they layer their instrumentals on top of each other. This is especially present on the ninth track of Fear in Bliss, “Let Go,” which starts out with a guitar, then a drum, and finally a keyboard until they crash together into a psychedelic climax that I don’t know how to describe--other than it makes me feel some type of “way.” The happy way. The sad way. The way that makes me think and question.



I think the only thing I would ask of Horse Thief was that they come back from Europe already so I can have more.

Anyone who is a fan of bands like Young the Giant, Vampire Weekend, or The Head and the Heart will really enjoy this band. Check them out. I doubt you will regret it.