For a band formed entirely of ex-Fall members, House of All has never been about simple nostalgia. On House of All Souls, their third album in as many years, they continue to channel the insistent rhythms, choppy riffs, and caustic storytelling that defined their former band, but with an energy and cohesion that makes this record feel vital rather than retrospective. With a lineup that now includes a third drummer, long-lost Fall veteran Karl Burns and guitarist Phil Lewis joining live and in the studio, this is their biggest and boldest set yet.
The record thrives on the kind of driving, hypnotic repetition that The Fall mastered, but House of All makes it their own. Tracks like Oh, What Is Love Made For scythe through with relentless, almost motorik energy, while Tempest and Storm is alive with abrupt, spidery guitar lines and sharp turns. The bass pulses with purpose, the drums propel everything forward, and over the top, half-sung, half-spoken vocals twist through cryptic observations and biting humor. It’s familiar territory, but never a mere rehash, it’s the sound of seasoned musicians taking what they do best and pushing it forward.
There’s a distinct Manchester bleakness to House of All Souls, a drizzle-soaked atmosphere that looms over the record’s tales. But rather than dampening the energy, it adds to the grit and tension that makes this album so compelling. Infamous Immoral Sister brings an unexpectedly gorgeous guitar melody, while The Good Englishman is a brilliant, angular slice of post-punk that bristles with urgency. Elsewhere, A Creature Came Slinking snarls as fiercely as its guitar lines, and Born At Dawn And Dead At Sunset, the epic closer, is one of the most evocative things they’ve done – a sprawling, knotted track that lingers long after the final notes fade.
For a band whose very existence caused a stir upon their debut, House of All has proven that they are more than just a footnote to The Fall’s legacy. House of All Souls is their most expansive and confident record yet – an album that takes the essence of their past and molds it into something vital, alive, and utterly compelling.
