Boxer the Horse

The Animal Farm allusion and scrappy guitars aside, PEI's Boxer the Horse aren't particularly interested in creating a proletarian sound. Instead, the outfit delivered a bouncy set that was heavily indebted to acts like Ted Leo and Pavement (i.e., it was at once buoyant, amiable and wry). A twilight slot in a perpetually dark venue, it injected a well-timed dose of sunshine, especially highlights "Karen Silkwood" -- all winding guitars and jangly choruses -- and quick-hitter "Bridge to the USA." The left-field Edwyn Collins cover probably could have been relegated to sound check, though.