This Valentine’s Day, Horsegirl has a gift from their hearts as a trio of best friends with love between them, and it comes in the form of their sophomore album Phonetics On and On.

The music crafted on the band’s first album, Versions of Modern Performance, solidifies their position as a contemporary indie-rock outfit. New work Phonetics On and On develops what the former established in how it further strips the sound down. Minimalistic patterns on the new LP succeed the slightly more traditional pop rock band feel from Versions of Modern Performance.

Phonetics On and On has a simplicity to it that does not give a plainness but rather the sense that the three musicians coordinated their efforts to make a refined, almost experimental record. The incredible Cate Le Bon, a musical experimenter herself, produced it, which makes the direction that Horsegirl takes even more guided. That experimental post-punk feel, added to a post-riot grrrl indie rock, builds the overall vibe of the album. What gives it its singularity, though, is that unique minimalist flair from the band.

“Where’d You Go” starts off the LP, and its repetitive, almost abstract lyrics set the general standard for the rest of the songs, with Penelope Lowenstein and Nora Cheng providing their vocals, as well as their guitar work, which brings the end of this first track into a distortive yet calculated mess. Gigi Reece’s drumming stands out in “Where’d You Go,” as it nicely backs the repeated nature of the words.

Track four “2468” is a definite highlight of the album in its use of violins that functions as a motif of the entire work. With just the lyrics “Two four six eight, they walk in twos,” with several “da da da’s,” the song acts as a continuation of the previous “In Tows.” Instrumentally, “2468” showcases the fun, stripped-down feel that Phonetics On and On holds. The repetition in syllable sounds like those “da’s” also connects directly with the record’s title.

“Julie” is the second single that the band released in anticipation of the album and is also the longest track out of the 11 in total. With short guitar chord plucks and quiet drumming, the serious, conversational lyrics feel direct. Lowenstein sings, “Julie, I wish I could tell you what you want,” and then goes into a sweet, honest speaking to the Julie figure. The song showcases the group’s ability to write sincere lines that go incredibly well with what their instrumentals aim to accomplish.

An album that works if you need some bedroom pop-ish sadness or a head-bopping indie moment, Phonetics On and On sounds, at its heart, like a warm hug on a cold night. Whether you have a few best friends of your own this Valentine’s Day or not, Horsegirl will join you throughout the end of winter.

—Krista Spies