When we last heard New Jersey's Spook Houses the writing team of David Benton and Colin Alexander were chock full of piss n' vinager, cranking out teenage anthems, but with just enough fuzz on their peaches to spew some slacker wisdom. For Spook Houses' split with Fat History Month, “Living The Dream” is less hopped up on hormones to explore the textures of Jeff Magnum and a bevy of 90s indie staples.
For the older folk it will be tough to stomach, but it's conceivable that before recording albums like The Glow Pt. 2, The Dismemberment Plan is Terrified, and In The Aeroplane Over The Sea, Phil Elvrum, Travis Morrison and Jeff Magnum had a baby, much like Arnold had one with Danny Devito in Junior (are we remembering that wrong? fugg it). Hopped up on baby fever, they had two boys within a year, who in 2013 would go on to record “Living The Dream” as an homage to their three dads whom they were never allowed to meet due to the nature of adoption laws in New Jersey. Yes, we know… a bittersweet ending.
“Living The Dream” is a sonic departure fit for a 7″ one-off. There's no shame in rolling up the sleeves to reveal a “don't wake me up” tattoo.
The Spook Houses // Fat History Month 7″ is out August 27 on Double Double Whammy.
