Little is known about this band called the Chap, but it's safe to say that they might be the new version of the Avalanches, the group which throws in everything but the kitchen sink for an engaging and somewhat brilliant bizarre sound. The Chap and their album have received the thumbs up from most of the heavy hitters on British rock radio, including John Peel and Steve Lamacq. But what transmits across one side of the pond into success isn't necessarily a given on the other side. The quartet of Claire Hope, Johannes von Weizsacker, Panos Ghikas and Keith Duncan hope to change that notion.
The opening number is the title track, and you get the feeling that this band just landed from Mars or Uranus. But unfortunately, it's only a sample of what is to come, thirty seconds of a Kraftwerk-like back-beat funneled through a New Wave or disco arrangement. Instant comparisons could be drawn to the masters of the screwing with one's musical mind, Primal Scream, but "Courage + Modesty" relies on a dancehall tempo that accentuates the high-hat for full effect. The keyboards also seem very quirky as the lyrics go "La de da de do, you're an avid advisor". Electroclash could be an easy reference point, but there is much more going on here than simple gloss and machinery. Some industrial effects rear their heads near the abrupt ending.
"Dror Frangi" is a very good example of what makes this band worthy of being noticed. From the spaced-out keyboards, the New Order-like approach is very appealing. "I need to get samples in smdi format" won't exactly win your girlfriend back, but the sound hits you in the gut. You also get lost in time as the flow for its five minutes is excellent. "Do It" is a melancholic piano tune that has the vocoder or vocals layered on top. While experimental, the song might be mistaken for something Thom Yorke toyed with during the Kid A sessions. Instruments are layered but it's too little too late. "Volumatic Spacer Device" is a guitar track that moves into a series of blips, samples of piano and a rather enjoyable myriad of sounds. It's as if you were playing guitar in a video arcade. The lyric of the album has to be "Sex with you is better than asthma". A gem for sure! But the Chap here come off as being arty or highbrow for arty or highbrow's sake.
"Effort Plus Guns" is the album's first great track, a mid-tempo affair that is a modern Velvet Underground it would appear. Whether it's the cello, the minimal back-beat or the shrieks of Hope and von Weizsacker, the groove here is on par with Prince. Thankfully, the chorus isn't as bizarre as it could be, making the flow of the song all the more powerful. "Remember Elvis Rex" is another gorgeous ditty that meets the old version of Elastica with a possible future reincarnation. Tight without stifling the creativity, the tune intensifies before dropping off and then picking itself up again. The lengthy and at times tedious "BITSS!!" is ambient but to a fault. Featuring a guitar solo that makes Ry Cooder appear to be a speed metal freak, the song seems to sap a lot of the momentum or energy the group has worked to achieve.
"We're Not Impartial" is a soulful seventies arrangement that stops before a grander orchestra or big band sound plays behind the sweet harmonies and duets. It's as if Pulp circa This Is Hardcore never went out of style. "I Got Flattened By a Pig Farmer", the first single that caused all the fuss, is idiotic and intriguing. It's a guilty pleasure as a generic guitar and funky bass swirls around a whispered vocal. As if getting flattened by a pig farmer, sumo wrestler and super wrestler could ever be so exciting, but this is. "Why Don't You Hit Me Back" is similar to "Dror Frangi", a guitar driven track fronted by a decent amount of sampling. In general, Horse is a bizarre album that one should lap up if only for a few breezy summer months.
— 23 June 2003
