Do you know Lou Bega’s Mambo No.5? Wild Horse’s Bitter is like its distant, sophisticated, architect cousin.
Wild Horse are a barely 20-year-old hailing from Brighton. But make no mistake, this group of fresh faces have been rigorously gigging since their teenage years and have managed to release five full-length albums in five consecutive years. The kind of work ethic that could solve world hunger.
Their music is very nice too. Bitter is a song about being bitter. Duh. Casual relationships can be incredibly toxic if they happen to be casual from only one side, with massive confusion, hurt, and disappointment that can happen to the one non-casual party in the relationship. This causes bitterness, that Wild Horses sing about. Bitter is a Pop Rock banger that’s sweet, rich, and poppy. The jangly tune is extremely catchy. The funk guitar that dominates the landscape is backed by a nuanced bassline and an intricate drum part that plays wonderfully along the changes. All instruments are played wonderfully, with enough show and enough restrain concurrently. The band are consummate performers. Even the claps are well thought out. The guitar solo too, is structured. With a harsh, dry tone made juicy by a beautiful chorus effect, the solo is a bunch of lead lines that are beautifully written and just as beautifully played. The lyrics are also cheeky and a little too direct. Eloquently planting the idea that casual isn’t always harmless.
Bitter sees Wild Horse do nothing new. They have been pumping out catchy, melodic pop bangers for five years, so I don’t get why wouldn’t this single too, follow in the same path. A superb offering from one of Brighton’s most reliable young bands.
