There’s a richness to Metalhorse that feels like it’s been lifted from another time. It’s not just the maturity of the songwriting, but the absolute command Tor Maries has over her voice, with a deeply rooted clarity to her performances.

There’s a definite echo of Born To Run-era Springsteen in the sweeping synthscapes, and the glittering drama of tracks like The Test and Moon Explodes wouldn’t sound out of place on the Footloose soundtrack. The ‘80s influence is big, bold, and romantic, with lush harmonies, glowing pads, and shimmering hooks. Stadium-sized pop done with real sensitivity. Tracks like Comedic Timing slow things down and draw out a completely different register that’s contemplative and bruised.

Huge choruses shimmer with brightness and the drums tumble and roll with a lightness that carries you, as the crystal-clear production works to serve a vocal performance that’s endlessly expressive, full of subtle dynamic shifts and perfectly placed harmonies, the work of someone in total control of their powers.

Override is a perfect example of what Metalhorse does so well. The drums gallop forward with purpose, but there’s no sense of panic, with vocals that glide and melodies that lift you gently rather that knock you sideways, inviting a twirl on a wide open dance floor. It’s impeccably pretty, optimistic, and gleeful. Metalhorse wears its ‘80s influences without ever sounding like pastiche, rooted in that decade because of the emotional directness of the songwriting and the belief in big-feeling pop. These are polished songs that don’t apologise for their heart or their optimism.

Plans is a love song, but not a straightforward one, about obsession and the hazy in-between when the feelings are out of control, unwise even, but you revel in them anyway. The song captures the feeling of ignoring your better judgement and giving into the thrill of obsession, saying ‘fuck it’ and belting the chorus one last time in pure euphoria, blooming like a flower before it all goes wrong. The song bottles the giddiness of giving in to the peril of loving recklessly, and it’s brilliant. Across the record, Billy Nomates captures a spectrum of emotional states from the dizzy rush of the new to the quiet ache of loss, each song a vivid mood piece rendered in lovely intuitive songwriting from an artist with total command of tone and texture.

The warmth in the chord choices and vocal phrasings is undeniable, feeling like summer or a dance scene from The Breakfast Club, that adolescent mixture of melancholy and magic, where heartbreak feels mythic and the smallest gestures mean everything. Metalhorse is a celebration of classic songwriting, with full and glittering production but a very human core, with every texture existing to serve the emotional logic of the song. There’s so much colour and attention to detail, whilst staying intimate like a friend reaching out their hand and saying, dance with me.