Canberra’s Hands Like Houses knocked my socks off with their new song “Monster”. When I clicked on the link from their Instagram I had no idea what to expect, but anything I might have guessed at would have been nowhere near where “Monster” ended up. Taking their somewhat heavy/rock sound and turning it into straight rock and roll, the upcoming album –Anon. (releasing October 12 via UNFD) currently has me incredibly curious as to what direction they are going to take it in.
The first single “Overthinking” wasn’t really to my taste, but this one got me. As soon as the epilepsy warning came up at the start of the video, I knew it was going to be interesting. Then the fluoro flashing lights and colours kicked in and I thought “Yeah, this is cool!”.
Somewhat of a retro styled video, the awesome effects on the band members skin and the ever-moving camera creates for one of the coolest things I’ve seen all year. Shadows of trees and animals move through the background, as the band members flash in and out of centre screen. Dancing, singing, and spinning – there is a lot going on.
“Monster” itself is filled with rocky instrumentals, taking a slower and catchier approach to the music. The riffs will sit in your head for hours, yet still feel gritty and real in the verses. Vocally, Trenton Woodley experiments with his voice during this song, making it sound rawer and rockier than usual. Don’t let that worry you, he still unleashes his beautiful high notes in the chorus, and still delivers the kind of vocals that we know and love.
“Take me to my grave, save me. I can feel it coming alive.”
Lyrically, “Monster” comes from the idea that everyone has a part of themselves that they hate: A monster that only shows itself when they turn their backs. About this concept, Trenton says: “I wanted to bake in the fear, the panic, the self-doubt of bringing something to life, but also the confidence and swagger of accepting that you are both Jekyll and Hyde, and owning it.”
“Monster” is the most unique song Hands Like Houses have done, and the difference between this and any other song they currently have released is astronomical. With that, I’m ridiculously excited for the new album. Hands Like Houses have also announced a string of intimate shows to celebrate the albums release in Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane. The band won’t play venues this small again and tickets are extremely limited in each city. Find more details about that below.
Hands Like Houses are: Trenton Woodley (vocals), Matt Cooper (guitar), Alex Pearson (guitar), Joel Tyrrell (bass), and Matt Parkitny (drums).
Check out “Monster” via YouTube, and pre-order –Anon. here: https://24hundred.net/collections/hands-like-houses
HANDS LIKE HOUSES
Intimate –Anon. Release Shows
Friday 12th October – Max Watt’s, Melbourne
Saturday 13th October – The Foundry, Brisbane
Sunday 14th October – The Landsdowne, Sydney
Tickets on sale now. For complete ticketing information, visit:
24hundred.net
