Throwing ideas at the wall to see what sticks is what HOMESHAKE is all about. The long-time musical project of Peter Sagar transcends mere pleasant, unattentive listens; Sagar’s bedroom pop-adjacent sensibilities mirror his headspace during recording. Where his livelier and more celebrated releases such as 2017’s Fresh Air ooze with jovial indietronica and alt-R&B, Horsie is Sagar’s second release in 2024 following March’s CD Wallet, and a continuation of the latter’s heavier approach.
 

That heaviness is a conscious detour to brooding music. The closest comparison is ‘90s slowcore band Duster, whose hazy aesthetics of wistful sentimentality and tedium can be heard across CD Wallet. Sagar makes it his own though, where his ordinarily bright voice and twinkly palette seep through the crevices of sludgy, blown-out drums and distorted guitars. Fragments of hope still exist, even with the looming tumult. CD Wallet conjures an isolating suburban environment, as Sagar proves that HOMESHAKE can be a deceivingly comforting entity.
 

Horsie as the follow-up in 2024’s one-two punch is not as emotionally stifling as CD Wallet, as it harks back to some of the glimmer on Fresh Air and the like, but drenches it in the former’s lethargic, drone-like guitar work. Exploring loneliness and anxiety, especially in the context of touring, it’s appropriate that Horsie was produced at his Toronto home studio since it sounds insular. Sagar deals with a lot of relatable distressing moods and quells them through the pensive but ever-so-slightly kooky instrumentation.
 

As is standard in the HOMESHAKE catalogue, Sagar interrogates his thoughts with his soft-spoken floaty voice and lyrics engulfed in playful metaphors. ‘Blunt Talk’ features woozy synths and Sagar’s vocals pitched down, emulating being under the influence and chatting all blissed out. ‘On A Roll’ has a leisurely slacker rock atmosphere, featuring crunchy guitar solos that match the song’s tumbling lethargy. Playing with oxymorons, Sagar perhaps tackles the plodding unfolding of a murky day: “All my clothes are heavy, I’m feelin’ light / Wait a little longer, it’s rain inside”. Meanwhile, lead single ‘Nothing 2 See’ explores Sagar attempting to hide in plain sight, playing himself up socially but ultimately wishing for peace and quiet at the end of a big touring night: “So I try and keep it up ‘til everybody’s gone / Take it easier / Looking like it’s nothing to see”.
 

Essentially more pieces of pleasing auditory ambience, Horsie is another destination in the unfolding textual world of HOMESHAKE. Here, less is very much more, so the beauty lies in the simplicity of Sagar’s arrangements. When you want to switch off from external social stressors, this is a sure-fire remedy to rid yourself of that pressure. Horsie’s dark tinge, then, is Sagar exiting his comfort zone so as to expand it.
 

Horsie is available to listen to on all major music platforms.