I Break Horses

I Break Horses, aka Maria Lindén, hails from Sweden but, unlike most Swedish female singers that appear on this blog, she doesn't make slightly left-of-centre pop music à la Robyn. Instead, hers is a sound in thrall to the shoegaze genre, sounding at times like a one woman Radio Dept (her other influences are listed as Slowdive, Cocteau Twins and Ride). Hearts is the perfect compromise between aggressive and romantic – Lindén's sultry, hushed voice swarmed by a groundswell of effects-laden guitars, simple drum patterns and an almost overwhelming sense of beautiful resignation. Hearts precedes three singles that will arrive before the as-yet-untitled album due by the end of the year, each released on 12" and featuring remixes from the likes of the Chemical Brothers, Fuck Buttons and Star Slinger