Versions of Modern Performance

Versions of Modern Performance is the debut studio album by Chicago trio Horsegirl, released in 2022 on Matador Records. Recorded at the legendary Electrical Audio with producer John Agnello, the album captures the band's transition from high school prodigies to central figures in the modern indie rock landscape. Sonically, the record is a love letter to the 1990s underground, drawing heavily from the textures of Sonic Youth, My Bloody Valentine, and Yo La Tengo. However, it avoids mere pastiche through its unique 'communal' vocal approach and the members' intricate, interlocking guitar work. The album was written during their formative years in the Chicago DIY scene, and that 'basement show' energy is preserved through Agnello's warm, analog-focused production. Critics praised the album for its sophisticated songwriting and its ability to make familiar indie tropes feel vital and urgent again. It stands as a definitive document of the 'new' Chicago sound - one that is as much about art-school experimentation as it is about rock and roll grit.