House Of Love* – She Paints Words In Red

With the split of House of Love in 1993, along with solo material by Guy Chadwick, the notion that the band would continue on, yet alone be releasing a new album in 2013 was almost unthinkable.  Nevertheless, musical miracles do happen, with the new album She Paints Words Red being not so much a low flying step forward in the band’s catalog, but rather sonically turning out to be very much what one would have hoped for.

Of course there are those who would claim that this album doesn’t show evolution, yet sometimes the heart just wants what the heart wants, and in this case it’s the blissful warm soulful lyrics and delivery of Guy Chadwick that blend and flow so willingly, juxtaposed to the wistful jangling guitar of Terry Bickers.  The album comes off with a sense of assuredness, with Chadwick’s vocals resounding with a deeper resonance to them, a resonance that’s balanced by the more mellow pastoral atmosphere created by the rest of the band, where they deliver songs in and of the events surrounding contemporary times and issues.

Some have suggested that the tracking sequence does not spark an adventurous ride, though when looking back at my personal favorite House of Love release, the Butterfly Album, which worked its way through an intoxicating earthbound atmosphere, had physical weight to the music, and was crafted with the same amount of moodiness found here.  Others have questioned why the band did not take more chances on this outing, though along with their audience, the band has matured and to that end have given us an album that they and we can relate to, which to my way of thinking is highly appropriate, and collectively where all of our musical heads are at … in other words, they’ve kept us feeling safe and comfortable, wrapped in cashmere blankets of all things familiar, yet come across as welcome as a new dawn, offering something fresh to spin on our turntables, as House of Love trail out stories of love found, lost and found yet again.

Unlike many bands who reform, something usually seems to have gotten lost or fallen out of place, as members dive into other projects, but here we find House of Love losing none of that magical chemistry, where these songs in their framework are perhaps simple in their way and exist for no longer than they need to.  With that in mind, there’s not a track that stands out on She Paints Words Red, and in the same breath, there’s not a single one that’s dismissible, meaning that for an album that was designed for rapture and immersion, they’ve succeed masterfully, with the record sounding completely timeless.

Review by Jenell Kesler