An Ode to Love and Loss: A Review of 100 Watt Horse’s EP, Okey Donkey

Sidney Parish

Picture yourself running around a grassy field barefoot and carefree. You’re gathered around a bonfire with your closest friends friends until the fire turns to embers and ashes. Fireflies flicker all around you as dusk approaches. Or, perhaps you are reading in front of an open window, embraced by a warm late summer breeze. This is what listening to 100 Watt Horse’s latest EP, Okey Donkey feels like.

This indie-folk band based out of Philadelphia, consisting of George Pettis and producer Graham Tavel, has crafted a quaint and charming piece of work that beautifully explores themes of friendship, love, loss, and grief. The production of Okey Donkey uniquely blends rustic lo-fi, folk roots, and minimalistic country rock, creating a heartwarming sound that simply feels like home. The songwriting is soul-stirring and deeply poetic, seeping with nostalgia.

The 23-minute EP opens with “Bees 4,” a shimmering lo-fi instrumental track that serves as a warm and welcoming invitation. The texture of the production evokes the gritty, sentimental sounds of Richie Wood, Fox Academy, and dandelion hands, conveying deep emotion without the need for lyrics. It transitions into “Calico,” a wistful acoustic song enriched with melting horns, glittering synths, and steel pedals that guide you along with Pettis’ graceful lyricism. While “Calico” delves into feelings of longing, the tempo picks up with “See Me Now,” a track that expresses gratitude and hope. Erring on the folkier side of the project, “See Me Now” is full of charming harmonies and beaming with optimism.

The EP then transitions to “Yur My Friend,” easily my favorite song off of this project. It’s a simple song with an infectious guitar line and beautiful stacked harmonies, but songwriting is so sincere and incredibly moving. It’s a tribute to close friendships, honest and heartfelt. Pettis sings,

“And when there’s somethin that’s buggin you
I always know which words to try
Okay, I lied I don’t always know
I’m not the best at having hope
but having you is making me
as good a guy as I can be

The fifth track, “Okey Donkey,” picks up the tempo and adopts a more polished and refined sound. Clocking in at almost ten minutes, it features only a few lyrics, but 100 Watt Horse compensates with echoing vocals and a woozy instrumental beat, evoking the sensation of being giddy on a rollercoaster ride. This song makes me want to be in a room with all of my closest friends and dance until we are all drenched in sweat. I can only imagine how wildly fun this song would be to listen to live. While “Okey Donkey” leaves you grounded and present in the moment, “Untitled,” releases you, opening up a vast expanse of reflection. It’s a gentle and humble conclusion to this 6-track EP.

From start to finish, Okey Donkey is an underrated gem. It evokes a wide range of human emotions in such a short span of time, leaving me dizzy yet always hitting repeat as soon as the EP ends. I cannot wait to see what else is in store for 100 Watt Horse. In the meantime, I implore everyone to take half an hour to immerse yourself in this masterful project.