Steer clear of this rodeo

Despite the ethereal gleam that tends to coat its guitar and synthesizer, the best shoegaze has always been dominated by a subtle, longing darkness.

In that regard, Sweden’s I Break Horses has missed the point somewhat with “Hearts.”
On a debut LP that often sounds more akin to Strawberry Switchblade than cited influence Slowdive, the duo has captured the dreamy synth melodies of the shoegaze genre but little of its otherworldly atmosphere.

That makes “Hearts” an entirely listenable but rarely exciting album. The reverb and repetition that made the great records by Chapterhouse and My Bloody Valentine so entrancing pass as merely pleasant here.

As background music, “Hearts” often works, but its failure to be gripping calls attention to a weak point of so much second-tier shoegaze. The best bands in the genre were able to use the subdued nature of the music to their advantage, pulling every imaginable emotion from the sound in perfect measure and to powerful effect.    

Unfortunately, the members of I Break Horses, like so many of their nu-gaze contemporaries, settle for mere prettiness and double the vocal reverb in an attempt to compensate for the lack of emotional depth.