When you think of a performing duo, most times you don’t think of Rock & Roll, but Whitehorse challenges those limits of your imagination, whether on record or on stage. Originally living in the Folk world, Melissa McClelland and Luke Doucet have expanded their band and their horizons, continuing to pay homage to the genre they first explored, while uncovering new sounds, rhythms and material to make them a bona fide rocking band. Piercing, innovative guitar licks and beautifully blended vocal harmonies drive Strike Me Down – the band’s second full-length release of 2021 – turning the songs into musical onions, with new layers to be discovered as you peel away the obvious ones with each listen.
Taking us on journey through decades of short, intelligent Pop tunes, Whitehorse’s Strike Me Down kicks off with the jangly but driving “Am I Just Gonna Stand Here (While You Take My Girl Away),” a challenge to stand up for oneself, before moving into the ’80s Alt Disco-ish Pop of the first single, the McClelland vocal tour de force, “Why So Cruel.” Along the way, Strike Me Down continues to tickle the imagination with stylistic shifts, whether it’s the sinister vibe of “Four More Miles,” the shuffle of “Seven Deadly Sins,” the psychedelic force of “Man Of War” or the stunning cover of Mazzy Star’s “Fade Into You.”
With a dynamic performance on recent JBE Virtual SummitFest, Whitehorse has been making new Triple A friends on a consistent basis, with both of this year’s releases seeing airplay. Current support from Colorado Sound, WFPK, WBJB and WNCW among others is only the start.
