B-Side Guys

Nostalgia becomes truly potent when it serves as vehicle rather than destination. On “Horseshoe Smile,” Nova Scotian duo Strange Plants demonstrate this principle beautifully, channeling psychedelic pop’s golden era to deliver pointed commentary on contemporary digital performance.

The track establishes immediate temporal disorientation—opening with guitar work that could have emerged from George Harrison’s notebooks circa 1966 before introducing vocal melodies that nod toward Tears For Fears’ polished emotional urgency. This calculated historical collage creates perfect framework for examining the tension between authenticity and performance that defines modern social media existence.

What separates “Horseshoe Smile” from standard retro-rock fare is its playful self-awareness. Matt Brannon (handling lead vocal duties unlike previous singles) delivers observations about “curated digital personas” with both sardonic edge and genuine warmth. The titular image—referencing the exaggerated upper teeth visibility of forced laughter—functions as perfect visual metaphor for the song’s thematic territory, transforming dental observation into cutting social critique.

Producer Robbie Crowell (Sturgill Simpson, Deer Tick) deserves significant credit for the track’s sonic architecture. Rather than pursuing museum-piece recreation of 60s production techniques, Crowell helps the duo filter vintage sounds through modern sensibilities—creating something simultaneously familiar and disorienting. This approach creates fascinating tension against the lyrics’ examination of artificial presentation.

The horn arrangement during the bridge provides particularly effective textural variation. These brass elements introduce celebratory energy that simultaneously enhances and undermines the song’s critical perspective—suggesting both genuine joy and its exaggerated performance. This instrumental complexity mirrors the song’s thematic nuance, acknowledging both critique of and participation in social performance.

For a track that reportedly came together unusually quickly for guitarist Brannon, “Horseshoe Smile” demonstrates remarkable compositional depth. The transformation from slow finger-picked acoustic riff to bouncy psychedelic pop exemplifies creative chemistry between Brannon and bandmate Travis Flint (both formerly of Halifax alt-country outfit Hot Mondy). Their new direction suggests artists following organic inspiration rather than strategic reinvention.

As preview of their self-titled debut album (releasing June 6th), “Horseshoe Smile” positions Strange Plants as band equally comfortable mining musical history and examining contemporary behavior. Recorded at Nashville’s legendary Creative Workshop Studio in just over a week, the track captures the “raw, analogue spirit” promised in their press materials while demonstrating surprising thematic sophistication.

For listeners navigating the often exhausting performance demands of digital existence, Strange Plants offers both critical perspective and danceable catharsis—proving that sometimes the most effective critique comes wrapped in irresistible melody.