We are pleased to announce the release of Michael Beach’s “A Horse/The Exhilarating Rise"-- our first on 7-inch vinyl. Beach’s first single since relocating to San Francisco from Australia, "A Horse" is a clear display of the versatility he has become known for after multiple releases with Melbourne’s Electric Jellyfish (Ecstatic Yod/Twin Lakes). In the first sessions for his sophomore album, Beach brought together friend and co-producer Raymond Raposa (Castanets) and engineer Seth Lorinczi (Corin Tucker Band, Golden Bears) at Seth’s Little Golden Book Studio in Portland, Oregon. The tape hiss and sparseness of "A Horse" recall early Elliott Smith recordings mixed with upbeat Townes Van Zandt melodies, while the B-side offers a euphoric Glenn Branca-esque guitar drone with hints of White Light/White Heat-era Velvet Underground madness. Though they span a wide array of influences, both songs are held together by Beach’s single-handed approach to recording and an exploration of alienation, unity, sadness, and joy. There’s a depth to these songs that have kept them in heavy rotation here at Twin Lakes ever since Beach sent us the masters. The vinyl version of this two-song treasure officially drops on February 8th but can be pre-ordered here now. Digital downloads are immediately available on a name-your-price basis over at Beach's Bandcamp site.