White Houses is an EP that finds Leaving Rouge in transition. On the website, Leaving Rouge leader Sean Hoen has stated that this lineup of the band is no more, and that the band is currently moving in new directions and new dimensions. Having not heard their previous album, I really couldn't tell you how much of a transition White Houses is from their debut, but the five songs on this little record are quite nice. There's an awkward feeling to the songs, though; the band seems off in a way that's inexplicable--or maybe, because we know this current phase is no more, it just feels 'off.' The only moment where the band falters musically is "Like Rome," which is a bit of a rocker, and it doesn't really flow with the mellow sadness of the rest of the record.
Still, the fact that the band's changed shouldn't distract from this EP's beauty. There's a quiet, graceful dignity to White Houses, a bleak atmospheric sound that's not unlike Elliott's last album. "Raise Your Love" sounds like a long-lost outtake from My Morning Jacket's It Still Moves, which is a good thing. My favorite on here would be "In Your Twilight," which shimmers like a snowy field illuminated by moonlight. Who knows where the band will go from here; apparently, we listeners should consider White House a snapshot of a brief point in this young band's life. If this is a mere snapshot, then I have to say I'm eager to hear where they go from here.
--Joseph Kyle
Artist Website: http://www.leavingrouge.com
Label Website: http://www.downpeninsula.com
Label Website: http://www.greydayproductions.com
No comments:
Post a Comment