Nope, you are not imagining things: we did feature Illinois-based outfit The House Flies very recently, praising ‘Lost Literature’ as “cryptic and shadowy, but also intoxicating and malleable”. In fact, we also teased an album, which is now out. ‘Lions and Ore’ is exactly what we were expecting from the talented outfit, a cathartic body of work steeped in nostalgia and luscious grittiness.
Across seven like-minded episodes, the album showcases the eclectic yet purposeful aural charge that The House Flies have to offer. A gloomy, somber mix of gothic rock, post-punk and shoegaze crowns the tracklist with solemn flair, effectively creating a dark wall of sound that feels ever emotional and vibrant. From a lyrical standpoint, ‘Lions and Ore’ doesn’t give listeners a precise cue, instead seeking to build a mood, an aesthetic, if you will. As we are told: “Recurring images of houses, fields, heat, sleep and things left behind give the songs a shared setting without fixing them to a single story.”
We appreciate the record’s open-ended character, a feature that’s made largely possible by The House Flies’ highly expressive, relatable material. In that sense, the album doesn’t ask for deep, conceptual analysis or a literary idealism. It instead asks for presence and escapism, embracing us all into a whirlwind of melancholic guitar tones and haunting, mysterious allure. For us, that’s what music is about, ultimately: transporting listeners into an alternative universe, even if for a mere forty minutes.
Recommended! Discover ‘Lions and Ore’ now: