Credit: Photo by John Anderson

An Horse

Zilker Park, Sept. 16

Caught between jangle pop and coffee shop confessional, Australian duo An Horse blinked in the midday sun. After a six-week break, vocalist Kate Cooper admitted, “I’m going to puff like a motherfucker,” and the stomping tick-tock of “Trains and Tracks” felt a little under-wound and underwhelming. She found some spark on “Camp Out,” and the wistful roar of “Little Lungs” caught her pouring extra passion onto the flames. In matching white tees and jeans, Cooper and drummer Damon Cox looked little like the airbrushed twins of their recent promo shots. Instead, his harmonies and beats lent a heft to her tender groove. Aside from a brief apology for a false start to “Walls,” the two barely needed to exchange a glance until, in an uncharacteristic stadium rock moment, Cox mounted his drum riser for a final farewell, both sheepish and charming.

This article appears in September 23 • 2011.

A note to readers: Bold and uncensored, The Austin Chronicle has been Austin’s independent news source for over 40 years, expressing the community’s political and environmental concerns and supporting its active cultural scene. Now more than ever, we need your support to continue supplying Austin with independent, free press. If real news is important to you, please consider making a donation of $5, $10 or whatever you can afford, to help keep our journalism on stands.

SUPPORT US

The Chronicle's first Culture Desk editor, Richard has reported on Austin's growing film production and appreciation scene for over a decade. A graduate of the universities of York, Stirling, and UT-Austin, a Rotten Tomatoes certified critic, and eight-time Best of Austin winner, he's currently at work on two books and a play.