The Housing Crisis - Astral Apartments

 

I got a bit of stick during lockdown from a couple of writers about my thoughts on the Acoustic Guitar. The inference was that I was being really unfair to musicians at a time when they had to do everything from home. I was misrepresented and since then the opinion has been that I don't like acoustic music.

Nothing could be further from the truth. My point was a reaction to going on Social Media to promote reviews and being inundated with Facebook Live pop ups of artists strumming an acoustic guitar, usually singing a cover, most often being a Beatles cover. I was just stating that other instruments were available as were other artist's songs.

So having said that, I can get on to the subject in hand which is this wonderful album from Gainesville's The Housing Crisis. They describe themselves as Cosmic Folk and I totally see that, particularly on the splendid Cartoon Frog, but that label may give the wrong impression on new listeners, because there is far more to this lot than that.

There is a big acoustic feel to the first half of the album, but the arrangements are top notch, always interesting and when they branch out, they get even better. Take for instance Wonder Of A Station Wagon. A magnificent slab of Pop, akin to the likes of The Summer Holiday with a twist of cosmic keyboards. 

Then there is Astral Apartment, a song that is dominated by that electronic sound, but remaining incredibly original with killer melodic lines and a chorus to die for. That's when you realise that is an album of two halves.

There is an even a short interlude, Liminal Days, which divides the analogue and the electrical, for want of a better description. Having said that the album closes with the more melancholic, traditional Wednesday & The Milky Way with its haunting riff and some crying harmonica. It works beautifully.

In fact the whole premise of two different sides to The Housing Crisis may confuse the simplistic listeners, but both work equally well. In fact the second half of the album is unexpectedly better than the first half, although both are equally fulfilling.

Changes In The Shape Of The Earth has a wonderful Baroque accompaniment on what is a jaunty pop affair that edges towards American at times. There's a lot contained in less than three minutes. It will be interesting to see how the band develop in the future with these two directions. Astral Apartments, however, is as good, if not better, than most things that I've heard in past 6 months.

You can listen to and buy the album here. CD and Vinyl can be bought here.

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