Those with a keen eye on the British experimental scene have probably already noticed Still House Plants, the Scottish trio now based in London, who attracted attention with their early productions and their bizarre “eyes closed” approach during live performances. This year, with the album “If I Don't Make It, I Love u”, the band confirms its promises with a proof of stylistic maturity.
The structure with which they present themselves – voice, drums, guitar – is sparse and essential. However, nothing is conventional in their compositions: the intricate phrasings and asymmetrical structures hark back to math-rock, but Jess Hickie-Kallenbach's voice introduces a Janis Joplin-esque visceral warmth with a melancholic edge. On the opening track, “MMM,” it wishes it were more coolwhile in “More Boy” he admits his desire to become stronger. His voice moves in a surprising way in structures that remain deliberately fluid. The drums follow an oscillating pattern, sometimes light and almost in contrast, sometimes abruptly interrupted, amplifying the tension.
Definitely difficult to label, Still House Plants explore territories that range between noise-rock and post-punk. In “Headlight” and “No Sleep Deep Risk” the atmospheres become rarefied, but with a touch of unpredictability: in the second song, for example, the snare drum accelerates dramatically, however leaving the rest of the melody suspended in a slower and dreamlike rhythm .
The songs frequently flirt with soulful atmospheres and, at times (“Pant”, “Sticky”), their rhythm seems to drag on without ever finding a real push. Instead, it is when the group intensifies the distortions and adopts a more essential and rough style, almost Shellac-like, that it reaches authentic expressive tension. “Silver Grit Passes Thru My Teeth” begins with the usual tones close to black musiconly to then undergo an unexpected turn: a burst of distortion halfway through the song interrupts the flow, and from there each instrument seems to take its own direction, while the voice tries to remain anchored to the initial key.
Although the plaintive voice sometimes risks weighing down the songs, the band demonstrates a notable mastery in deconstructing the song form, making use of loops and pauses orchestrated with skill: an example in this sense is the excellent “3scr3w3.
The final track, “More More Faster Finale,” is almost a manifesto of Still House Plants' unique style, condensing the distinctive traits explored throughout the album: irregular rhythms, dissonances that appear and disappear, sudden interruptions and delicate neo nuances. -soul. The melodies maintain a precarious balance, always on the verge of giving way, creating a constant tension.
At the crossroads between post and noise rock and open improvisation, the band sculpts a liminal sound, capable of finding harmony in disharmony and overabundance in subtraction.
09/11/2024
Daniel D`Amico for SANREMO.FM
