Shantell Ogden's latest single "She Loves Horses" is so refreshingly country it could have been released any time over the last forty years. Completely free of any distractions its simplicity is its strength, even the lyrics keep the outside world on the periphery - after all what could be more country than horses?
Musically there's a guitar, a fiddle, a tiny drum kit and a male backing vocal - each so clear and independent in the overall mix while out front sounding as American as apple pie is Shantell who introduces us to the protagonist of the song
"She likes movies where they don't kiss till the end
Her lavender hair flying free in the wind
Sleeping under the stars every now and then"
Shantell like an artist paints very detailed pictures using very few strokes allowing the listener to fill in the gaps of who we are dealing with and so we find out some of her loves such as
"The sound of her name on a cowboys lips - the smell of sage after the rain"
and undoubtedly where she feels most at home
"Head in the clouds hands on the reins
Seeing the world from a higher place"
It is the chourus that fills in most of the gaps and there's a lovely vocal speed up on the words "her around" that make the chorus absoluely classic country.
"She loves horses more than anything
Makes her fly without wings
They’re sure and steady
Even on rocky ground, won’t let ya down
The more this crazy world turns her around
The more she loves horses"
The real world only briefly appears inthe song, the chorus hints to her having been let down and turned around before and there's a smart little equestrian analogy that says a lot about how she views the world and her priorities within it.
"Aint life like rodeo where people come and people go
Get thrown off get back on
Hold on to what you know."
The song concludes with the bedrock of her belief system.
"There's not a whole lot in this world she's sure about - but she loves horses" it is an unbreakable bond.
Some times you need a musical palette cleanser to free you from radio targetted over production and "She Loves Horses" is most certainly that .