Bringing radiant indie guitar tones, dream-pop vibes but with a shimmering undercurrent of hyper-pop, the new single ‘mark/james’ from rising duo Quiet Houses continues to highlight the bands radiant appeal.
Tight, intricate guitar lines dance over the tight, lo-fi electronic backing to create a buoyant, light and bouncy backing to the sweet, vibrantly melodic lead vocals. As the track reaches its chorus, layers of vocoders surround the central vocal, lifting the track before the drums thicken and bass enters in the second verse.
Brimming with rapture and groove, the sound track is as lively as it does intimate in equal measure. Bold and inventive yet poppy and bright, the tracks elegant, playful lyricism is reflected in the music with playful gun like samples as the lyrics talk about sending out a hit squad if you hurt my sister. Ultimately, it’s a great example of how the pair balance their single.
The duo comment, “‘mark/james’ is a song for all our brave sisters and brothers out on the front lines of dating in London. It’s about navigating casual relationships in a world of £7 pints and flat shares with 8 people. It was written in our first London flat in Walthamstow; it was summer, and we were both working full-time hospitality jobs, squeezing in music-making whenever we could in random pockets of time.
The guitar loop and drum machine were the first elements to come into being and got us so excited, it felt playful, flirty, and unserious, and the lyrics came pretty quickly after. When the pace of the melody is so fast, you can fit in a lot of story. The drums were played by Meg Learmonth, we recorded them with the track slowed down 40% before speeding it back up to get those snappy transients. Chris Rabbits re-recorded the original bass line with the fun fills.”
Continuing to build on their momentum, the new single is a radiant addition to the duo’s growing catalogue.
Listen below:
