Though Last Charge of the Light Horse deals in driving guitars and emotionally charged lyrics, the group has little else in common with the emo and hardcore scenes for which its Long Island, NY home base is so well known. Unlike his teen-angst driven neighbors, Light Horse leader Jean-Paul Vest spent years paying his dues playing everything from alt-country to power pop to provincial French folk music, and his diverse influences all play a subtle part in the sound of the band’s debut album Getaway Car. Joined by the snap-tight father/son drums/bass tandem of Artie and A.J. Riegger, Vest delivers songs that are lyrically compelling -- wry, plain-spoken observations of the quiet terrors of normal life.

But let’s not get hung up on that. “If You Only Knew…” is fourteen modern rock sounding tracks that are catchy – in lyrics, melody and rhythm – and are performed well. Opening with the poppy, driving rock of “Starting Gun” and “I’m Sorry Now,” Blue Sandcastle get your attention and hold it through the familiar sounding “Second Place Waltz” and “What Would You Have Me Say.”

Offering up two covers, Blue Sandcastle earn respect. Their rock infused “Crazy” cover sounds little like the original, save for the final line, but works well. And accept for some extra distortion and turning the bass up, on their cover of “Art of Dying,” the band pay tribute to the late, great George Harrison by preserving the song’s original sound – including the great guitar leads throughout the song.

Unquestionably “Guardrail” stands out on the album. With jangling guitar and emotions bubbling, “Guardrail” has many elements and it sounds great. (One that is, perhaps, worth dog-earing to rerecord acoustic.) Closing with the understated “Winter,” Blue Sandcastle almost sounds like a different band, adding deeper, darker percussion in the background. “If You Only Knew…” showcases Blue Sandcastle in variations of their sound, offering something for everyone. The build throughout the album is balanced and natural. By the end of the album, you’re looking for the repeat.
Grade: A-

DAILY VAULT, May 2003, Jason Warburg
Does the world really need another singer-songwriter who trolls the aisles of the great Supermarket of Regret, throwing down beer-soaked tirades and wounded laments?

It's a question worth asking after coming across a debut album like this, so rife with pain and ringing guitar riffs that you half expect to find Paul Westerberg lurking in the liner notes. Despite that obvious (and frankly acknowledged) influence, though, this piece of work stands strong on its own.

Blue Sandcastle is a group that's just barely a group; the two members and co-writers of the album are Jean-Paul Vest (vocals, guitars, bass) and Eric Schuman (drums). At some point along the way they enlisted additional help from Wendy Walters (bass, backing vocals). You'd never know the band began as a studio creation, though, for the tracks that make up If You Only Knew... sound both refreshingly organic and surprisingly complete.

The music relies heavily on muscular guitar lines -- very Replacements/Gin Blossoms -- but with lyrics both literate and self-flagellating enough to remind of James McMurtry or Matthew Ryan. Tracks of note include: the opening "Starting Gun," with its mythic lyric and fat, driving guitar line; "Second Place Waltz," with its Dylanesque vocals and a bluesy feel that builds to a powerful finish; and their frankly brilliant cover of Willie Nelson's "Crazy," where the music rocks out to the edge of control like Marshall Crenshaw on a serious drinking jag, while the vocals hold things together with a dreamy Chris Isaak feel that somehow works perfectly. There's a dash of John Hiatt to the whole thing as well, a heady mix of intelligence, fallibility and damning self-knowledge.

To be fair, there is a least one happy song on here, the bouncy shout of "This Here Changes Everything," which -- one last namedrop -- has a bit of a BoDeans feel to it, albeit with extra punch on the guitars. It just happens to be the exception. On the opposite extreme is the other cover song here, BS's fuel-injected, nearly psychedelic remake of George Harrison's "The Art Of Dying." More typical of Blue Sandcastle are sharply-drawn relationship portraits with lines like "We're speeding but I'm in no hurry / to see how far I've come undone" and brutal self-examinations like "Guardrail," which could be subtitled "Why I Always Fuck It Up."

All of which brings us back to my opening question: does the world really need another album of obsessive post-breakup songs set to surging rock and roll guitars? As long as there's one more person out there in the world just about to have their heart broken and stomped to pieces on the floor, you're goddamned right it does. The old saying declares that life is pain. I wouldn't go that far myself, but for those passing moments when it feels that way, this album and all its ancestors and descendants are the soundtrack of life.
RATING: A-

AIDING & ABETTING, June 2003, Jon Worley
Ten years ago, Erik Schuman and Jean-Paul Vest were in a band back in Texas. A couple years ago they met once again--this time in New York--and decided to play some music once again. The duo is somewhat stuck in that whole midwestern roots punk thing. Think the first couple Uncle Tupelo albums or maybe some early Husker Du. Maybe. These guys make music that falls right into Still Feel Gone territory, though Vest's vocals are much more reminiscent of Walter Salas-Humara of the Silos. Mostly, though, these guys simply make fine roots-flavored rock. The sound is nicely chunky, though it isn't excessively loud or feedback-laden. The sort of stuff that's a bit loud for the porch, but just right for the back yard. A fine set of songs. There are a couple of covers, done with cool new settings (why else would you do a well-known song, anyway?). Just right for the onset of summer.

POPMATTERS, April 2003, Nikki Tranter
Blue Sandcastle's new album is their first full-length release. The band, consisting of New York musicians Jean-Paul Vest and Erik Schuman, have polished up their act significantly here, giving the rasp and bucked guitar of their ripping five-track debut, Paradise Misplaced, a rest in order to make way for skilled melodies and a far more relaxed vocal. The album, If You Only Knew... is a more than worthy follow-up to the EP, with 14 tracks of tightly woven roots-rock tunes. Vest and Schuman have taken their Replacements-esque style and given it more of a pop edge reminiscent of Husker Du, Matthew Sweet and early Toad the Wet Sprocket. A definite winner, these songs are beautifully written (especially "All for Nothing" and "Sooner") and similarly produced.

NEWSDAY, February 2003, Kevin Amorim
It took singer-guitarist-bassist Jean-Paul Vest and drummer Erik Schuman about a year, but they did it: They released a full-length album. The duo, known as Blue Sandcastle, had a fine roots-rockin' EP in 2001. Vest's distinctive voice and guitar jangle were at the heart of that scanty-but-skillful outing. Those five tracks are reprised here, including a jacked-up version of Willie Nelson's "Crazy." The new material, of course, is worthy, too. Especially evocative, "Closing Time at the Fair" offers: "Say goodbye to all the clowns and dancing bears...Now you're yelling at me in your underwear." It was worth the wait.

FRIGID EMBER, December 2002, Paul Cardone
This CD was given to me by a co-worker, whose wife works with one of the members of Blue Sandcastle. I had never heard of the band before, and I wasn't too optimistic but I'll listen to anything once. Or twice. Or three times? Never thought it would happen, but it did. Blue Sandcastle plays guitar-driven, chunky-at-times rock. People who are fans of the Replacements, Husker Du, and maybe even the Flaming Lips should give this disc a try. The band itself consists of only two members, Jean-Paul Vest on guitar/vocals/bass, and Erik Schuman on drums. Both give excellent musical performances, and together create a tight, blended sound that gives this album its power. "Starting Gun" is an excellent opener, with upbeat rock riffs right from the start. Blue Sandcastle also offers up two covers: Willie Nelson's "Crazy", and George Harrison's "Art Of Dying". Both covers are pulled off quite well, and should not offend fans of the original artists, as many covers tend to do. On the "words" end of things, everything fits right in. Vest's vocals are raspy but strong, and his insightful lyrics make "If You Only Knew..." an album that should get peoples attention. Hey, it got mine.

NY ROCK, May 2003, Bill Ribas
Another trio this month, one that does a pretty whacked cover of Willie Nelson's "Crazy" that sounds nothing at all like the tune in your head right now. Oh, and they do a cover of George Harrison's "Art of Dying" that's a bit closer to the source. For their original stuff, however, they employ a straight-ahead approach. Their press gives nods toward a Replacement sound, but the band doesn't quite employ the melodic intuition that the Replacements had. Not to say that Blue Sandcastle aren't melodic, it's just that the hooks aren't overwhelmingly strong. The band is primarily the duo of Erik Schuman on drums, and Jean-Paul Vest on the remaining instrumentation (guitar, bass, vocals, if you're keeping score). And it's interesting rock, with intelligent lyrics that tell a story. Vest's voice is a wee bit, hmmm, nasally, or maybe it's a bit on the high side, and to me, it doesn't have enough punch for a rock singer, perhaps lacking an emotive strength. But give them a listen, because I've been wrong before.