American-born Leschen featured a
stellar cast of Kiwi musos on his debut album, but
for ‘Black Horses’, it is a solo effort.
Recorded by Robbie Duncan at Braeburn Studios
in Wellington,
this is a strong set of songs, stormy folk music based around deft picking and
strumming and his Dylanesque vocal phrasing. Opener The
Double Cross sets the tone for this mix of Tex-Mex, alt-country and
folk-blues. Other highlights include Long
Great Mile, Man With
No Country and Wild Roses & Satin. The lyrics are worldly and transcend the
sadly usual clichés that seem to come with the territory. And references to folk and rock music from
the 1960s will make this accessible to anyone still scared of country music. I had never heard of this guy, but I really
enjoyed listening to the album.
- Simon Sweetman, NZ Musician 14(3):42 April/May 2008