Some four years after Houndsteeth’s debut album, Hold Your Horses offers a nod to the pillars of the Boston DIY scene where the band started, while taking listeners on a ride through the breadth of their own sonic range. With the security of a combined decade of friendship, Gordon, Da Fonseca, and Ward traverse the song worlds they create with both conviction and curiosity. Humble lyrics are woven into sonic webs of dissonance, close counterpoint, and adventurous vocal lines. Hold Your Horses showcases the trio’s capacity for experimentation, making the most of each member’s unique skill-sets. As a result, the album is a playground of auxiliary sounds, operatic rock guitar moments, and Meredith Monk-style vocal harmonies.