“All of these people, none of them give a damn for me,” lead singer Cameron Neal cries on “Let Go.” While this song doesn't come around until the end of Fear in Bliss, much of Horse Thief's second album echoes that sentiment—overcoming abandon and a perceived meaninglessness are rung throughout Fear in Bliss. What's remarkable is these feelings aren't lost in what, sonically, radiates with uplifting folk rock and jangle pop embellishments.
Starting with the song “Devil,” Horse Thief delves into these themes of nihilism and loneliness. The song's coda dwells on the fact that life is going to end while the singer tells the listener this doesn't cost him any sleep. Yet, that can't really be taken at face value, either; the lyrics refer to a devil that meets the character in his sleep every night. But it's also a very living song, with a steady bass line moving through breathing guitars and uplifting melodies. It's a weird juxtaposition, but the dark subject does little to take away from the enjoyable music, and vice versa.
Other songs run through this same back-and-forth between light songs and dark content, including the 1960s pop echo “Holding On” and the heart-on-sleeve “Already Dead.” It's when the Tom Petty-esque “Dead Drum” plays that the album takes a different tone. Suddenly the singer asks “to be remembered” and catches the first glimpse of hope with a man who answers the question “Do you believe in God?” with a slight nod and smile, implying the first glimpse of meaning.
Unfortunately, that hope seems lost come album closer “Warm Regards,” where Neal slumps back into that depressing nihilism after a dramatic battle during the electrifying breakdowns of “Let Go” and “Come Down.” The haunting hum of “Warm Regard's” synthesizers only instill the desperation, creating the only song that sounds as dark as it really is.
Horse Thief's website identifies Fear in Bliss as being inspired by overcoming depression. While the character behind the album seems to sink back into its grasp, the music excellently challenges it with pop melodies and soaring soundscapes. At times, the story can seem a bit much, but songs like the haunting beauty of “Warm Regards” and the heartland soul of “Dead Drum” make Fear in Bliss an album far more deserving of bliss than fear.
Rating: A-
