Search - House of Fools :: Live & Learn

The [...] Album Review by Scott Irvine

Brian S. Popowitz | 03/06/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"[...]



Though second-guessing was extensive when I first jumped into Live and Learn, it soon become strikingly blatant that House of Fools is so subtly brilliant that it's a wonder this band hasn't made it further than they have. First impressions hardly grasp the finer points of the album, so I'm glad I came back to Fools's debut as quickly as I did. Hailing from North Carolina, this sextet is just one of those bands that really doesn't need much explanation. Rhythmically solid collectivity and well orchestrated country-influenced pop cadence flow through all fourteen tracks exceptionally, only stumbling on a few tracks here and there. It's no wonder they were confidently scooped up by Drive-Thru and have been on "Look Out For..." lists ever since. With the release of their incredible debut, Live and Learn, expect a scene of fools for House of Fools real soon.



With a couple songs still lingering on the debut that date back to the band's self-titled EP ("My Life Before Today", "Kiss the Haze"), we get a chance to sample both the old and the new. But the tracks we're still rocking from the EP hold their charm and are in fact some of the best songs on Live and Learn. "Kiss the Haze" is undeniably the highlight of the album's first half simply because its completely unique sound and best example of that collectivity I spoke of earlier. If it's not bassist Jeff Linn's irreplaceable arpeggio-based grooves fronting drummer Phil Bell's one-two beat, its Matt Bowers's organ-like keyboard tone backing vocalist Josh King's lively chorus lead.



And as I witness this perfect soundtrack to warm Southern days, so graciously peppered with hints of The Beatles and The Format, nothing so delightful could be led by any better than the former mentioned frontman. Josh King's freshly reserved vocals rarely miss a beat, and the rest of the band is staunch to propel King's vocal style to new heights. Lyrically, Drive-Thru aptly describes them as "open-hearted". Though standard, if not cliché, biography terminology, it really undermines King's lyrical range.



"Diving like a bird/I picked the blue out of your eyes/Hijack a plane to France/If we could watch the moon/Dance across the street into a bar/I would never leave/But I know I'll have to go sometime/You're hold on me is stronger than the alcohol/That is slowly killing me."



The second half of the album lacks the energy of the first seven songs, but more down-to-earth tracks such as "Better Part of Me" and "Coke and Smoke" makes up for the fact there are uncharacteristically slower-tempo, etc. songs finishing off the album. I mean, songs like "I Heard a Rumor" are just painful, considering the fantastic formula the band established previously. However, the title-track album closer, "Live and Learn", finishes the album off nicely with a pleasing piano based jive to jam-band outro.



Though I find myself less and less interested in the going-ons of Drive-Thru Records, House of Fools has the label once again part of my life with one of my favorite releases for 2007 thus far. Live and Learn is a feel-good rock album that experiments with engaging folk elements; evening out to a thoroughly good debut from quite a promising collective. Though a couple of songs included were previously released, there's no reason why one who even had a slight interest in the EP should pass up this beauty. Live and Learn is gorgeous."

Faith in music restores

AquaboyTpa | Tampa FL | 02/19/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Radio as a means to discover good music lost my faith long ago. Until I pidcked up this CD, I thought I'd lost my faith entirely in the music industry. But then one day a friend of mine played "Pour me Out" for me, and I knew that there was still some magic left out there.



The band refers to their style as rock/folk/experimental, and they're not far off. In fact, in some songs you'll find on genre at the beginning and wind up with another at the end. Their musicianship, song craftsmanship and production rival in quality (although not in style) to contemporary masters like the Dave Mathews Band.



The cd starts out sedately but well, but by the time you're 1/3 into "Until it's Over", you don't know what you're in for. It starts out sweetly, and then becomes this anthemic 1970s guitar romp that changes chord patterns and tempos several times, shifting finally to a piano taking the stage. "My Life Before Today" just sparkles. This is a band that makes you feel good because the music is so good. "Kiss the Haze"... what can I say. Why this single never really took off is beyond me. It's fun (a harpsichord and a brass band in a ska tune? Who knew?)and is extremely well-recorded. "Me and Everyone I Know" channels the band's inner Mark Knopfler. "What are we Supposed to Do?" is sublimely beautiful with rich strings and synths. The prog side of the band escapes toward the end of "Go Down", rivaling Muse in arpeggios and crunching guitars. The stunner on this amazing disc has to be "Better Part of Me" which is just brilliantly sunny. The arrangement is breathtaking, with guitars, organs and banjos taking turns in the foreground. It's one of those shiny summery songs you just don't want to end. I wish they'd added another verse. The lone vocal track that seemed out of place with the rest of the album was "Interested", which is followed by the dark of "Pour Me Out" which at first recalled to me early work by a little known band called Ours. Beautifully dark. "I Heard a Rumour" ends with a Muse/Queen-esque a capella. The album comes to it's "official" end with "Live and Learn" which starts out with a somewhat creepy piano intro--again, with a retrofitted psychodelic-era chord pattern. It ends in a glorious celebration of sound.



The vocals are brilliant--only occasionally sparking into bombast, giving the album an honesty and believability that is hard to find these days.



For those of you who drive a lot, this is a CD that will help you forget the traffic for awhile."

Decently good

Audrey Thiele | Tennessee | 04/02/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"On first listen, the album is ok. But on second, third, and fourth, it takes on a new light and it starts to sound good. One thing about this album is that is that it has very good lyrics. Some of the best of this album are: It could be easy, Me and everyone I know, My life before today, go down, Better Part of me, Interested, and Coke and Smoke.

There are a few that I didn't like, but altogether it is a good album that will eventually grow on you."