Just southwest of Toronto, Ontario, there is a smaller town called, Kitchener, which has given birth to a new breed of substantive, hand-crafted music by way of the 5-piece folk-pop outfit, Safe As Houses.
Elliot Anton (guitar, vocals), Bensen Carter (cello, bass, vocals), brothers Andrew (guitar, vocals) and Thomas Laughton (drums, vocals), and Lauren Taylor (violin, vocals) were official in 2014 with their debut album, The Fall Of A Sparrow—a spacious, contemplative acoustic collection with vast melodies and expansive harmonies. In 2016 came the Hurrican EP—a project packed with dynamic musical change-ups and thoughtful prose which was small only in its running-time. Exploring these two previous collections quickly creates an exciting anticipation for their new album, this year’s—Lucky Lucky—an immediately noticeable advance on an already colorful and emotive anthology.
HERE’S WHAT WE DUG MOST…
Opening with a jubilant ode to the innocence of childhood and the beginnings of a musical adventure, Those Days, is a bright explosion of soft, sonic love. A celebration while most mourn. A show of gratitude which needs no justification, while others bitch and moan.
“Under the dying stars that light the sky
Trust me darling, everything will be alright…”
OUR FAVORITE TRACK…
The finger-picked guitar melody and self-aware prose in, Alive, make it more than radio-worthy. Perhaps, radio-necessary…
“Under the lamppost, pulled from the night
You were a shadow in the suburban light
The trickling glow on the inanimate street
Yeah, we kicked a pulse into the concrete
Man, I feel like I’m younger again
This is how life’s meant to be spent
Only a few things are true in the end
We’re never gonna make it out of life alive
We’re never gonna be as young as we are tonight
Under the dying stars that light the sky
Trust me darling, everything will be alright…”
Following the grateful path of its predecessor is the album’s title track, Lucky Lucky, an ambient guide to happiness for any of us who dares to, “…choose our aim carefully”. Be absolutely sure to stick around long enough for the lovely acoustic version of this track at the end of the album. (I just might prefer it, hard to say.)
The delicate finger-picking and etheric vocal harmonies in Bird On Display, Coley Island, and Threnody are iconically reminiscent of Simon & Garfunkel. (Tell me I’m wrong.)
Calamity juxtaposes with the finger-picked serenity of ultimate truth in, Just A Dream, a track which gives sonic definition to the word “delicate”.
Banjo picking and airy vocals in, Heat In Our Lungs, bring to mind the likes of Great Lake Swimmers.
IN CONCLUSION…
Profoundly deliberate. Exclamation-worthy. Marvelously displaced from their musical generation. Safe As Houses’ third studio project, Lucky Lucky, bears all of the dynamic, thoughtful writing and composition of its two predecessors. Only now, this quintet has five years of service to their musical muse behind them—offering perspective, maturity, and dare I say—humility—to the work.
As these five artisans gently deliver the truth of our impermanence over and over again, there’s an infectiously fun irony at work here, whereby the unrelenting aura of joyful self-awareness put forth from these 12 tracks—at times—can cause one to take for granted just how much technical musical talent is unfolding. All sunshine and rainbows aside, these five are fine musicians. Lyrics are touched but honest. Harmonies are soft but exact. Percussion is bold and complimentary—only when it must be. The strings tie an infinity knot around the entire production, blending the musical tissues into one, like muscle—to tendon—to bone. In essence, what we have here, is music which will not, cannot, leave its listener(s) unaffected.
WHOSE LOVECHILD…?
OneRepublic meets Simon & Garfunkel, with twists of Great Lake Swimmers and early-era Coldplay…
BELOW: Listen to Safe As Houses’ album, Lucky Lucky, and connect with their website and social media platforms. Please support Safe As Houses by visiting them online, and playing, downloading, and/or purchasing their music, or attending a live show! And, as always, thank you for supporting real music!
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