Housecat’s 2024 EP, The Porch Orange is an indie pop reverie. It calls back to a cusping era of alternative music that firmly rooted its signature twang and breathy vocals between the late ‘90s and early ‘00s. If this record had been released between ‘97 and ‘99, Housecat might have been placed upon the stages of Lilith Fair along with Sarah McLachlan and Sheryl Crowe.
The Porch Orange rings out like a daydream in the breeze, its subdued structures holding back more than they wish to reveal. Housecat hides their complexity by performing what is truly called for in a song, providing the listener with a more stripped-down experience.
Housecat uses production as a tool to elevate their music by finding the perfect place for each sonic element to sit in the mix as the vocals pour over a harmonious soundscape.
As intentional as the EP is, the band leaves room for playful experimentation. Mathy riffs and odd timing serve as well-placed embellishments on top of timeless pop structures.
The guitars in “Laika” have me second guessing the time signature, drawing me in to listen closer and more carefully.
“Play Dead” comes off as a hard nod to Elliot Smith. The track has a cinematic quality, its depth and sadness are amplified by doubled-up vocals and orchestral elements.
Dynamics and timbre have lots of room to rise and fall on this record, adding to its depth and detail. Themes of love and loss are expressed as much through the lyrics as they are through the music itself. Despairing melodies are placed in contrast with uplifting refrains and gentle bridges.
This collection of songs is held together by a thread of nostalgia, evoking a pang of maturation I might have felt while watching My So-Called Life or Gilmour Girls. I can see the fall leaves setting into their warm reds and deep browns as jangly guitars get cozy between the drums and bass.
This EP is both cold and warm—it is delicate and hard, peaceful yet sinister. While
bares all in its most vulnerable expression, an air of mystery remains.
Genres: Indie-pop, Alternative, Rock
F.F.O: Elliot Smith, Sheryl Crowe, Jewel, Tori Amos, Mazzy Star
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