2014-06-16
House of Spirits is the fifth release from San Francisco band, The Fresh & Onlys. For this one, the band explores sub-genres of the alt-rock sound. At times keyboards back morose vocals, a-la mid-80's new wave ("Home is Where"). Other times the vocals sport 00's-style indie rock reverb ("I'm Awake", "April Fools", "Candy"). Yet at other times the songs have fuzzy shoe-gaze guitar ("Bells of Paonia"). Then there is the garage rock of "Hummingbird". These songs seem to ride the cusp of these sub-genres of rock, with the band never fully embracing the sound. All the songs have an underlying blandness. Perhaps its the continuity of Tim Cohen's vocals that ties the songs together in this way. All in all, this album is listenable, but there is nothing here that makes me want to take a second listen.
Rebecca Ruth
WILLAMENA
Lost in the Shadows
BLACK LIPS
Two Hundred Million Thousand
TUATARA
East of the Sun
Billy Gibbons and The BFG's
Perfectamundo
MATTHEW RYAN
From a Late Night High Rise in Paris
OVER THE RHINE
The Long Surrender
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