The Picturebooks – “Imaginary Horse” [Album Review]

If you don’t want to put on your best plaid and rev the engine to your motorcycle after listening to this album, I can’t help you. The Picturebooks bring out the raw sound they’ve become known for on Imaginary Horse. The album boasts thirteen songs with the kind of beauty an off-the-grid lumberjack has; it’s that kind of majestic sound you just want to put on repeat until you work through all of those emotions while chopping down trees and doing other super manly man things. This album is clutch as hell!

The chorus of “Your Kisses Burn Like Fire” is one hell of a tune to forget your ex to. It’s also decent for simply rocking out and whipping your hair about. The music video for “Your Kisses Burn Like Fire” will absolutely make you want to go out and buy yourself a motorcycle and find yourself a bad bitch to ride on the back and mess up your life.

The Picturebooks is a German rock/blues duo, and damn do they nail it. Think Black Keys meets Conor Oberst, meets Jesus who gives them bad-ass super powers for taking over the rock/blues music industry, and you have The Picturebooks. You wouldn’t guess that Fynn and Philipp met at a skatepark with the rough and guttural sound they produce.

If you think Imaginary Horse sounds like it is the kind of music you’d expect to hear out of a garage, you’re not wrong. After touring, the boys returned to their garage (full of motorcycles [cue collective “oooh”]) and instruments and banged out what is Imaginary Horse. Still can’t put your finger on that fascinating, organic unique sound? It’s their use of modified instruments, along with their rough and tumble ways.

Every track on Imaginary Horse has one of those moments where you stop everything you’re doing just to really get into it; get a little headbang in, get a little aggressive in your day, let out those negative emotions with The Picturebooks, they’ve got your back.

Many of the tracks come with guitar riffs that sound like a revved up motorcycle, or a chainsaw being put to work. This is the kind of gnarly sound that is The Picturebooks. They even have the perfect amount of “oh oh ohs,” clapping, and long drawn out guttural notes to get you through your boring day feeling like you just out did Evil Knievel. Don’t hesitate a moment longer!! Amazing tracks are waiting to be listened to by you! YES!! YOU!!

Imaginary Horse Track Listing:

01. Imaginary Horse
02. Your Kisses Burn Like Fire
03. PCH Diamond
04. 1000 Years of Doing Nothing
05. E.L.I.Z.A.B.E.T.H.
06. The Rabbit and the Wolf
07. Learn It the Hard Way
08. These Bridges I Must Burn
09. Fever
10. All of My Life
11. Hail These Words
12. Tears of Gold
13. Make It Last

Run Time: 40 minutes
Release Date: October 7, 2014

Check out the song “PCH Diamond”