Lisathe // Watch Out For The Horse Behind You

Released by Melbourne's La Sape Records, Watch Out For The Horse Behind You finds Sydney trio Lisathe turning inward after a debut devoted to reinterpreting Scandinavian composers and musical touchstones. Inspired by family, community, and the Australian landscapes they call home, the album marks a confident shift toward original composition. Comprised of drummer Miles Thomas, bassist Brendan Clark, and guitarist/pedal steel player Ollie Thorpe, the group operates with a quiet virtuosity that favors collective intuition over individual display, moving fluidly between jazz improvisation, ambient Americana, experimental folk, and post-rock without settling comfortably into any one tradition. Space plays a central role throughout. The mournful pulse of "SBC" leaves room for Thorpe's aching guitar lines to linger, while "Cradlesong," inspired by Clark's infant son, unfolds through a gentle, winding melody. Elsewhere, the prepared guitar textures of "Doorway" introduce unfamiliar harmonic terrain, and the hypnotic bass ostinato driving "Eddy" lends the piece a subtle monumental weight. Recorded at Golden Retriever Studios and mixed by Thomas, the album's spacious sonic character reflects the band's cumulative improvisational approach, allowing ideas to emerge, recede, and reappear in unexpected ways. While traces of Bill Frisell, Daniel Lanois, and Jóhann Jóhannsson remain in the background, Watch Out For The Horse Behind You feels less concerned with its influences than Lisathe's debut, transforming them into something distinctly personal. The result is a confident and deeply rooted statement that establishes the trio as singular voices within Australia's contemporary improvised music community.