CHARLIE HORSE – I HOPE I’M NOT A MONSTER

Balmain locals Crystal Rose and Paul McDonald form the core of Charlie Horse, whose debut album Hope I’m Not A Monster is a disc just shy of 45 minutes of dusty, gritty alt-rock & roll. Much in the same vein as Neil Young, America and PJ Harvey the album pulls heart strings like a puppeteer with wailing guitar leads, Rose’s open and honest story telling vocal style and lyricism that deals with a whole host of personal themes. The swaying ballad Dead Roses is about parting love, I killed My Mind; a jangly rock & roll number with words about numbing pain with dope to a fist pumping back beat, while Deep In The Woods is a moody, ambling song where Rose admits “Jesus don’t want me in the sunshine/he said there ain’t no love for me anymore” against the back drop of dark over-driven guitars. I Hope I’m Not A Monster is a nice blend of the familiar with a fresh energy and a welcome addition from a local group to the blues-rock & roll genre.

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