On Dark Horses
Emma Ruth Rundle · 2018
46 min · 9 tracks · ambient music
Ethereal soundscapes intertwine with haunting vocals, creating a landscape of introspection and emotional depth.
Top tracks — play these first
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Control — This track stands out with its driving rhythm and introspective lyrics, exploring themes of personal agency amidst chaos. Its dynamic shifts embody the album's tension between vulnerability and strength.
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Darkhorse — As the title track, it encapsulates the album's overarching themes of struggle and resilience, blending atmospheric guitars with haunting melodies that linger long after the song ends.
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Apathy on the Indiana Border — The song features a stark contrast between delicate instrumentation and weighty lyrical content, reflecting a moment of deep emotional conflict that resonates throughout the album's narrative arc.
Elevation
Our rating, out of 100 — and why.
AI-generated from five scored dimensions. An opinion, not a measurement.
The album blends ethereal soundscapes with haunting vocals, creating an introspective atmosphere.
What we noticed
- The first half of the album features tracks that build layers of sound with ethereal textures, while the second half introduces more vocal elements.
- The final track concludes with a long fade-out, leaving an ambient echo that lingers after the music stops.
- Composition 25% of the score
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7/10
- Craft 20% of the score
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8/10
- Durability 25% of the score
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7/10
- Distinctiveness 18% of the score
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6/10
- Sequencing 12% of the score
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8/10
the writing — melody, harmony, structure, lyrics
production, performance, arrangement
whether it rewards returning to it
whether it sounds like itself
running order, pacing, length
Known within its scene. Reported but not counted — how far a record travelled describes its reception rather than the record, and a newer release has had less time to travel than an older one.
Is this for you?
Good fit if you like
- haunting vocals for deep introspection
- dreamlike soundscapes for quiet moments
- exploratory listening in solitude
- emotional weight in every track
Maybe skip if you
- seeking upbeat, fast-paced energy
- prefer standalone tracks over cohesion
Where this album fits
- Career context
- By the time Emma Ruth Rundle released 'On Dark Horses' in 2018, she was establishing herself as a significant voice within the ambient and post-rock scenes. This album followed her critically acclaimed 2016 release, 'Marked for Death,' marking an evolution in her sound that incorporated more layered instrumentation and lyrical complexity.
- Stylistic neighbors
- Marissa Nadler· Chelsea Wolfe· Lisa Hannigan
Moments worth listening for
Where the writing does something specific.
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Fever Dreams
The chorus shifts unexpectedly to a more hopeful tone, deviating from earlier despair expressed in the verses.
This tonal shift creates a sense of longing and possibility, emphasizing the duality present throughout the album.
Tracklist
Best experienced from track one — press play and let it unfold.
- 1 Fever Dreams 4:49
- 2 Control 4:10
- 3 Darkhorse 6:12
- 4 Races 5:34
- 5 Dead Set Eyes 4:58
- 6 Light Song 5:50
- 7 Apathy on the Indiana Border 4:46
- 8 You Don’t Have to Cry 5:44
- 9 It Sings Sweet Like 4:04
Reference: Wikipedia · MusicBrainz · Wikidata
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