The Scottish singer-songwriter is back with another album full of belters
BY ELLA GAUCI, IMAGE PROVIDED
Iconic Scottish singer-songwriter Horse McDonald is back with her eighth studio album The Road Less Travelled which comes out tomorrow (25 May). Across the last three decades, Horse has toured with the likes of Tina Turner, BB King, and Bryan Ferry, and her iconic powerhouse voice has captivated sapphics everywhere. This new album is no different.
11 years after she released her album Home, Horse has returned with an album full of songs perfect for belting. With the title taking inspiration from the iconic poem The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost, the album opens with the fiery track Leaving. With powerful lines like “sound your trumpets, beat your drums”, Leaving captures the euphoric feeling of carving your own path. Eight albums later, Horse’s voice is still just as invigorating and striking as ever.
The album quickly transitions into its upbeat second track Superpower which acts as an anthem of female empowerment. In a touching moment, the track fades into the voices of children describing their own superpowers, one of which is “being a girl”. Following this anthem is the album’s titular track The Road Less Travelled which tells the pertinent story of moving on. With haunting backing vocals accompanying Horse’s blazing voice, this song exemplifies the range of Horse’s storytelling skills within music.
While the album is full of full-blown belters, Horse’s new album also offers us moments of quiet reflection in tracks like As If Before. Stripped down to just a piano and Horse’s voice, tracks like this remind us why Horse is such a talented songwriter.
The Road Less Travelled is full of feel-good anthems like Starlight, gifting the sapphic community with some songs to blast this summer. Covering the full spectrum of emotions, the album ends on a powerfully peaceful note with the final track The Moon And I. Full of whimsical, fairytale-like moments, Horse’s voice acts as a lullaby.
This new album is a reminder that Horse can do it all. A true masterclass in songwriting, producing, and storytelling.
The Road Less Travelled will be available to stream from 25 May.
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