Holly Golightly is a woman who has always loved horses; she was an apprentice jockey in her teens, has trained people in the finer points of riding, and volunteers with a group that rescues abused and neglected horses. So it should come as no surprise that the singer's music would one day reflect this interest, and on 2018's Clippety Clop, Golightly and her collaborator Lawyer Dave (who are the Brokeoffs) cover a dozen songs concerning her equine friends. Most of the selections are vintage folk or country numbers, and their structures are a good match for the hardscrabble sound of Holly and Dave's musical approach, a flinty punk-informed mix of blues, country, and traditional music. The rough-edged simplicity of the production makes Clippety Clop sound like it was recorded on a farm (which it was). Once again, the down-home feel suits the music, and Golightly's vocals are spirited, with a saucy insistence that's sharp but playful. There are also a few surprises on hand, particularly a suitably dour and atmospheric cover of Red Red Meat's "Carpet of Horses" and a similarly downbeat take on the Bad Livers' "Horses in the Mines." If Golightly's take on these songs is often idiosyncratic, it's also heartfelt, and she and Dave give this album a sense of scruffy pride, elevating a project that might have seemed like a novelty in other hands. Clippety Clop isn't Golightly's best album with the Brokeoffs, but it's most certainly above their average, and she chose the material well enough to make this one of her most satisfying interpretive projects. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

1		Mule Skinner
2		Two White Horses
3		Horses in the Mines
4		Pinto Pony
5		Black Horse Blues
6		Kill Grey Mule
7		Carpet of Horses
8		I Ride an Old Paint
9		Jinny Mule
10		Stewball
11		Strawberry Roan
12		Mule Train

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