Hollow Horse—Memory Palace

I was excited to see the news that this album was on its way, and today it finally dropped.

The album opens with "As One Door Closes", which is essentially a soundscape montage of footsteps and various doors opening and closing. What those doors reveal, however, are soundbites from previous Hollow Horse tracks. It's a reminder of how we associate music with different stages of our lives and how those same songs can transport us back effortlessly. I conveyed something similar to Kenny, although I think I prefer his metaphor: "Music for me is the biggest trigger to time travel back to specific times and places and people. It can sometimes break the heart completely knowing you can never get back to those days." And it's true. Even hearing these brief snippets takes me back to the formative years of Indie Launchpad.

"Sleep Deprivation" follows and is effectively the first proper musical offering from the new album. Slow, moody guitar opens proceedings, setting a wonderfully mellow and relaxed tone. I have to admit, when I first heard Kenny's voice, it was interesting to hear him pushing his notes higher than I'm accustomed to. Not a criticism, just something of a surprise. The track also features some lovely backing vocals, strings and even what I think might be a sitar. If it's been used before, I certainly can't remember noticing it.

As "Just Because You Can" opens, there's an immediate sense of familiarity. It's probably what I would previously have considered the classic Hollow Horse sound, although I think that description is somewhat disingenuous. That familiar foundation is certainly there, but the additional vocals of Suzanne Enterkin-Kelly bring another dimension to the music. I've touched on this before, but perhaps haven't given it the attention it deserves. More on that later.

"Us Begins With You" takes us on another musical journey, transitioning so effortlessly that you barely notice the changes. That's always a good sign of an album that works as a complete piece. There are some lovely instrumental additions here, including a flute, which may well have featured in previous recordings, but certainly caught my attention this time around.

When "My Obsession" opens, there's an unmistakable sense of 80s nostalgia, with the band Black coming to mind. It's a relatively simple, piano-led song, but there's some lovely musical accompaniment. I'm not entirely sure what it is, but there's a fairly bassy, music-box-like sound that adds a wonderful nostalgic quality to an already cracking song.

I think my Suzanne epiphany happened with "Matters Of The Heart". On some of the previous albums, Suzanne's contributions perhaps felt to me more like those of a featured artist. Here, though, everything seems to fall into place. Her vocals feel completely integrated into the Hollow Horse sound, rather than something added to it. I'm not sure if that makes complete sense just yet, but hopefully I'll explain myself better later. There's also a lovely saxophone solo further into the track. My initial reaction was that it didn't quite sound like Hollow Horse, but I had to tell the little devil on my shoulder to shut up. There's no denying it works, adding another layer of atmosphere to an already beautiful song.

Opening with what I think sounds like a Rhodes-style keyboard, "One Of Many Mistakes" feels like another piece of a much larger puzzle. By this point, the album is really beginning to come together, with each track contributing to what is turning out to be an exceptional collection of music.

Upon hearing the introduction to "Seeing You For The First Time", I wasn't quite sure what to expect. Kenny's vocals sit over a simple piano and bass arrangement, and you find yourself almost waiting for the music to open up. When it does, it breathes life into the track. Kenny's vocals have a lovely rawness to them, giving the song an interesting edge, while the backing vocals introduce an almost theatrical, musical quality.

Opening with brass, "Forgive" has a rather intriguing feel. There's an almost ever-present, repetitive keyboard line sitting low in the mix, but, as is perhaps to be expected, my brain can't help but fixate on it. It's one of those little details that gives the track an additional quality, at least for me. The song itself once again serves the overall album beautifully.

"It's Not Ours To Know" has a wonderfully moody atmosphere, featuring a chorus of crickets and birdsong alongside an almost ominous undertone. As the song opens up, we're greeted once again by Suzanne's vocals before the music transforms into something slow and melancholic. Yet the vocals don't allow you to dwell too long on the sadness. Instead, they leave you feeling somewhat reflective. Towards the end, there's a lovely spoken-word passage, followed by a sound that is something akin to Mongolian throat singing. I'm sure that sounds quite bizarre, but somehow it fits beautifully. The track closes with the spoken words, "I'm not Frightened by not knowing", before finally falling into silence.

What is effectively the final musical number, "The Punch And Judy Man", starts with the sound of a music box being wound up before the music takes over, driving the track forward. The vocals are classic Kenny, but this time they're accompanied by strings, giving the song a real sense of gravitas. Sorry, I'm sure that sounds a little presumptuous, but it really does add weight to the track. I think I'd have to say this is probably my favourite song on the album.

The album closes with "Another Door Closes", another sound montage, this time with some light musical backing. There's also some German spoken word, which sounds as though it's being delivered over a train station tannoy. I'd be interested to know what's being said. Finally, the track closes with an excerpt from "The Liberty Bell" by John Philip Sousa, better known to most of us as the Monty Python theme tune. Perhaps a rather wacky choice, but it works perfectly, bringing a phenomenal album to a close.

I think it's time for me to issue a little apology. I've been listening to Hollow Horse for over 20 years, and I think those first three albums cemented in my mind what I considered to be the Hollow Horse sound. When they returned to recording in 2025, coincidentally just as Indie Launchpad was relaunching, I found myself approaching their subsequent albums with those same expectations. I always thought of Suzanne as a featured artist, rather than an integral part of the band. I think that was more down to my own ignorance, and perhaps there was a little piece of me wanting to hang on to something I loved, without fully accepting that things change.

With this album, I think I've finally come to realise that not all changes are bad. In fact, this album proves that sometimes change can be a very good thing. It's just that embracing it isn't always easy, particularly when you have such a long history with the music. Somewhere along the way, everything finally clicked into place for me.

This isn't simply a return to form. It's an exceptional collective work, and probably the best album Hollow Horse so far released. The band have found something here that feels both familiar and refreshingly different, and I think I've finally caught up with them.

Now the bar has been firmly set for what is yet to come.