HTRK – Rhinestones – LP (Blue)

Ghostly International

Self-released in the fall of 2021, “Rhinestones” was a revelation for HTRK, kickstarting a subtle resurgence for the Melbourne group and showing them at the top of their powers. Marked by a new infatuation with “eerie and gothic country music,” “Rhinestones” is an elegant nine-song suite of windswept emotion and heartbreak noir, crafted in skeletal arrangements of guitar, voice, metronomes, and FX. From whispered lament to acoustic eulogy to downtempo vignettes, the album took cues from the economy and brevity of Western folk but skewed through a narcotic, nocturnal lens. The set garnered high praise from Gorilla vs. Bear, The Wire, and Pitchfork.

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