Let Loose the Horses

The Rescues | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 6, 2010)
• Original Release Date: 2010
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Universal Republic
• ASIN: B003KUSUJU
• In-Print Editions: Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #63,507 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

The most compelling artists have always been able to find their singular truth and channel it for the world to savor. But The Rescues -- whose music recalls the soaring emotions of Coldplay, the earthiness of Fleetwood Mac, the introspection of Death Cab for Cutie -- set themselves apart by combining each of their intrepid perspectives into one harmonious voice.

The Los Angeles-based foursome, who will release their full-length debut, Let Loose the Horses, in June through Universal Republic, have made a name for themselves as a powerful live act thanks to their flawless, transcendent harmonies. They've likewise earned a rep for being TV's go-to soundtrackers with an uncanny ability to underscore drama on shows like One Tree Hill, Private Practice, and Grey's Anatomy, the latter boasting a staggering five Rescues songs, among them the rousing anthem "Break Me Out." As individuals, the band members are moving performers, and together they are, beguilingly, more powerful than the sum of their parts. "We all have very distinct, lead-singer voices," notes vocalist/musician Kyler England. "But when we sing together it's like there's a fifth person in the blend that comes together."

England and fellow singers/multi-instrumentalists Rob Giles, Adrianne Gonzalez, and Gabriel Mann met while performing on the singer-songwriter circuit in L.A. They were regulars at Room 5 Lounge and The Hotel Café, which also hosted then up-and-comers such as Sara Bareilles, Katy Perry, and the Fray.

Though they didn't realize it then, these two guys and two girls -- each a fish-out-of-water in their Southern hometowns -- were united in their imperatives to move out West. North Carolina-native England was more of an alt-country artist; Gonzalez, from Miami, crafted folk-pop; and Texans Giles and Mann specialized in swelling rock and epic ballads. They'd occasionally share the stage, write a song, even tour together, but the idea of joining forces didn't dawn on them until a mutual friend suggested they collaborate.

So in 2008, England, Gonzalez, and Mann hammered out some harmony-driven songs and recorded the independent Crazy Ever After. The burgeoning group felt something was missing, so they recruited Giles a year later. "That's when the band really happened," says Mann. Sensing they were on to something great, the quartet didn't waste time: they began composing and recording, testing their chemistry during a month of intense songwriting. No song was written in the same way. Here, the band penned the bulk of what would be their major-label debut, Let Loose the Horses.

The title track came about after England's brother and his wife were forced to evacuate their home on a horse ranch in Colorado due to a brush fire. To save the animals' lives, the gates were opened so that the horses could run free to safety. The Rescues asked themselves, "What would happen if you lost everything except for each other?" "Let Loose the Horses" sets the tone for the rest of the album, which thoughtfully explores the crossroads where hope and peril meet. "In our music, there's a balance between dark and light, tension, and resolution," Gonzalez says.

"The sound of this album and the fact that there is such variety comes from the fact that we're all writers challenging each other," says Mann. Let Loose the Horses, in kind, teems with refined sonic restlessness: where "Never Too Late" rises to a potent a capella bridge, "Stay Over" tinkers, surprisingly, with synths, and "We're OK" offers a slowed-down study in power-pop. Explains Giles of the latter's overarching theme, "We all come to these themes of self-forgiveness, letting go, giving into change, trusting that something better is coming."

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely terrific band, fantastic album!, July 22, 2010

By 

B. Karney (Santa Clarita, CA, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Let Loose the Horses (Audio CD)

I have been a longstanding fan of Gabriel Mann, so when I learned that he had joined forces with three other singer-songwriters to form The Rescues, I pre-ordered the album and played it the day it arrived.

It's terrific. You would never know this is a debut album -- this is a mature work by a powerful collection of artists.

The mode is somewhere in a neighborhood where pop, rock, and folk come together. It unquestionably contemporary songwriting, but if you demand something to compare it to, I might say it sounds like an album Fleetwood Mac might have produced if they were working today. Each of the four members take turns on lead vocals, and each is great in a different way. This is music for a summer night, music to play in the car with the top down.

I have now been listening to it constantly for days. You will too.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Buy it! You'll be happy you did!, July 6, 2010

By 

Charles B. Miller (Atlanta, GA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Let Loose the Horses (Audio CD)

So, I've been a fan of Kyler England for a long time. A few years back I went to see her when she was touring solo. She said that she had recorded an album with The Rescues (Crazy Ever After). I bought it...loved it...still listen to it. It's like a sonic pop menagerie. If you like power-pop/rock with awesome harmonies, then you will LOVE The Rescues. Now, they have released their follow-up record, and I must say that it's even more amazing. This band really blows me away. Their music is like a bag of potato chips, I defy you to listen to it just once. I mean, one listen to 'Before The Fall', 'Start a Riot' or 'Stay Over', and you'll be hitting the replay button over and over. This is a solid band of musicians and songwriters who can sing the heck of their songs. Catch them on their way up! Trust me...listen to the clips...buy the album...you'll be glad you did.

5.0 out of 5 stars Some incredibly interesting and fresh music!, February 4, 2011

By 

A. Lee - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Let Loose The Horses (MP3 Download)

I heard their version of Teenage Dream and I really enjoyed how they toned, it and stripped it down. They put on some killer vocals and that is what made me buy the album. I heard 2 previews then decided to buy it. It was that good. I'm still listening to it right now as I write this review but some of my standout favorites so far is: City and the River, Follow Me Back Into the Sun, Stay Over and Stranger Keeper. The whole album is outstanding but I really like the second half of the album.
These guys are brilliant writers and musicians, and if this is just their first debut album, then I can't wait to hear more from them.