Gus Englehorn harnesses the winds of creativity as he assumes the mantle of the broke balladeer.

Just over a year on from his previous release, The Hornbook, Gus Englehorn once again invites us into his weird and wonderful world of sound and storytelling with his fourth studio album, The Broken Balladeer. The ever-enigmatic Englehorn – or, as he prefers to be called, a nomadic psych-pop prophet – leads us by the hand through his Zappa-like world into chambers of quirk, the esoteric and the whimsical. Produced once again by Paul Leary of noise-rock royalty Butthole Surfers, The Broken Balladeer was recorded at breakneck speed over six days in March 2025 and features contributions from long-time collaborator Estée Preda. Prepare to be carried on the winds of creativity as the former pro-snowboarder unveils his world for us all to stand side-stage and peer into, hearts and mouths aghast.

Lyricists Of The World Must Unite

The art of songwriting needs more risk, and Gus Englehorn is at the helm of that peril-pursuing brigade. On the opening track, Hounds Are Out, there’s some masterful use of the English language: “Alienation and motivation are at an all-time high and low respectively.” As an album opener, it’s an early invite into the expanding burrow we’re about to crawl through. There are far less engaging ways of simply saying that modern life is rubbish.

Deeper into the record, the lyrics reach similar peaks of poetic precision. Drown It Out – “When everything’s the same, in the pleasure centre of your brain; is whistling the dark – drown it out” – and Broken Balladeer – “It’s me, I’m one of them, a prisoner to my pen” – reveal some of the turmoil and introspection Gus Englehorn has endured on the way to this impressive and timely release. Unlike many writers now, it’s evident that every word and pause has been considered and refined so that nothing is lost or misinterpreted.

Tension And Release

One such highlight in this sonic supernova is Pepperina, with its metronomic guitar strum, in which Englehorn creates a vivid landscape. Of the track he says: “I imagine a villain in a Western movie that has two lovers tied to chairs and he’s singing the song to them.” It’s a throwaway line that opens up the madcap cinema of his inner world, wrapped around what is likely to be the standout track on the album.

Better Watch Your Step offers the most cosmic sonic interplay, with tension and release at their height and Englehorn clearly enjoying playing us almost as much as he does the vast array of instruments and sounds deployed here. Hot on its heels, Suburban Garden Of Eden delivers a similarly taut experience: a sinister interplay of sound and lyric that treats noise as a toy to push the senses, and words as a brush to paint vivid, ever-shifting scenery. In The Gorge and How Many capture both that lyrical dance and the tension-and-release production, leaning into lo-fi indie-rock gothic narratives that most could only dream of conjuring; for Englehorn, these tales seem to drip from his tongue with little friction or complication.

Hazy Observance

Listening to The Broken Balladeer has the feel of an artist who has sat back, hazily observant, watching the world change and deciding that it is worth his curiosity and commentary. This is most apparent in some of his softer angles. On Rattler’s Hum – Englehorn’s most delicate but fascinating lyrical unveiling – we ride shotgun with a driver drifting off down a long, lonely road: “Asleep at the wheel, the road becomes a river; fed on swollen streams of consciousness – a dream.”

Of a similar dreamy ilk is Horse Hair Purse, its shimmering production and beautifully treated vocals washed in just enough reverb to suit the melancholic side of his songwriting. Tracks like this are lifted by effervescent instrumentation that dips in and out, crashing and receding like waves on a tranquil shore. Sea Shore summons that tide again with its disjointed rhythm and clever use of pace and fragility to draw the listener ever closer. Englehorn really shines where there is perceived simplicity carefully masking craft.

Narrative Texture

For listeners who crave that rare balance of lyrical and sonic interplay, Gus Englehorn is fast becoming essential listening. This album builds on his previous excellent output and should be considered a career highlight thus far. Fans of artists who twist narrative and texture into something tender, skewed and unforgettable – think Alex Cameron, Purple Mountains, Advance Base – will find plenty to pore over here. With an upcoming tour across the US, Canada and Europe, there’s a growing sense that this broken balladeer is quietly building a devoted cult, even if UK dates are conspicuously absent for now. 

Here’s Better Watch Your Step:

Gus Englehorn: Website

At The Barrier: Facebook / X  / Instagram