The House Flies’ newly released single “Derelict Crawl” introduces the more direct side of Lions and Ore, the Moline, Illinois-based band’s upcoming second full-length album. Marking the first album from the current four-piece lineup of Alex Riggen, Burnie Eckhardt, Ozzie Woods, and Nick Pompou, the record moves between heavier passages, quieter repetition, and longer arrangements while maintaining the guitar-driven immediacy of their earlier work.
The production consumes with a rhythm-forward initial presentation, where a trickling, post-punk undercurrent is propelled by bass and percussion. Pulsing guitars enamor as well, particularly as a gentle twanging emerges alongside the moody vocal delivery, recalling a more solemn Brian Molko across these verses. A blast of distortion ensues, hearkening to ’90s alt-rock heydays as the delivery shifts to a more anthemic fervor. “We don’t belong,” the performance intensifies there, then shifting cohesively to more understated passages during the reflective “drinking tea” lines.
Following another memorably ardent central hook, minimalist guitar tones approach the three-minute turn with lovely momentum, conjuring the beginning’s post-punk rhythmic emphasis. The build-up here, and into the final minute, is fantastic in its palpably climactic pull, as soaring guitars swell into a final, feverish “we don’t belong” chorus. “Derelict Crawl” is an immersive, standout rocker from The House Flies, leaving us firmly anticipating their upcoming album Lions and Ore, out on November 6th.
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This and other tracks featured this month can be streamed on the updating Obscure Sound’s ‘Emerging Singles’ Spotify playlist.
We discovered this release via MusoSoup.
