Concept albums, when not expertly executed, can be a struggle not only to get through as a listener but also to interpret into an enthralling read as a reviewer. Add in for today’s struggle that the band in question, San Francisco’s 37 Houses, is in itself a concept band (More on that soon) and there’s potentially two strikes already. Thankfully, 37 Houses do what they do really, REALLY well and through Truth, Justice and the Polyamory way (Or not way? Again, more on that soon) the band have managed to exquisitely (And emotively) enunciate through song the trials and tribulations of opening up a burgeoning marriage to a polyamorous lifestyle (Okay, so the more on that was sooner…) over the 12 tracks that make up the equally heartwarming and heartbreaking When And How It Happened.
Before we really begin, though, back to the other “More on that…” thing! 37 Houses, the band, was initially started as a sort of sonic journal when Lead Singer/Bassist Erin Sydney and Guitarist Jeremy Rosenblum found themselves thrust upon each other in a lockdown following just four months of marriage. Some folks discovered bread making during the pandemic, some binged shows, others made records. Whatever worked for you, right? Anyway, the couple persevered (As chronicled by the self-titled 37 Houses debut which you can hear here) and then decided to open up their marriage to the concept of Polyamory. And made a concept album that dug deep into that chapter of their lives which they now present to you/us as When And How It Happened.
Individually, each track is a banger and if you’re someone who just wants to sit back, relax and jam out to some tunes then you could definitely do that with the body of modern Indie/Emo-Pop meets Alternative laid out across these twelve tracks. However, if you really wanna feel something when you experience your music then When And How It Happened should be listened to front to back.
“Shadow Puppets” starts this sonic journey and it’s a pretty pitch perfect beginning then gets even better with a bouncy and boisterous breakdown that bubbles with emotion to close out the track. “Helium” sounds as if it was plucked out of the ’90’s from a lost Failure album and deals with the fallout of a small amount of time spent with a new girlfriend and the months dealing with grief and angst afterwards while Rosenblum’s wailing Guitar lines on “Strangers” offsets the strength of conviction felt when Sydney begins to sing.
“Unloveable” has a sound that reflects the reflectiveness of this whole effort, scaling back with Sydney singing against an acoustic backdrop on a track that’s the flip side to “Love Song” as one represents “the darkest moments and the other an expression of neverending love to hold onto when things feel overwhelming.” Sydney also takes on some songwriting responsibilities for the first time (Rosenblum was the chief songwriter across 37 Houses), contributing two tracks on When And How It Happened that share her personal evolution through this entire experience. The first of those, “Event Horizon”, glistens in the way that Flickerstick do when they’re really on (Flickerstick is never not on, for the record) while the other, “Only a Smile Remains”, is Piano-driven (Performed by Sean Stillinger who also contributes Electric Guitar on the album and Bass on this track) and poignant.
“Misery” is tender as it twinkles with Ryan Lotz’s stick work behind the Drum Kit subtly rumbling as Sydney’s voice aches followed by “Honesty is Everything” which comes screaming to life out of that quiet with some sweet Gang Vox that are sure to be a great primal scream moment in a live setting. “Eye For an Eye” has these catchy call and response vocal moments surrounded by a fuzzed out wall of sound from Lotz, Stillinger and Rosenblum with “Loss for Words” delving into some Post-Rawk feels until “If You See My Baby” eventually rounds out the record with a sweet, and kinda fun, little ditty.
When And How It Happened is out now and you can find the copy that best goes with your lifestyle by heading here or to the stream below. For more from 37 Houses, including where to catch them on their current tour which stops by Deep Cuts on August 1st with Regal Seagull and Lesser Birds (Tickets available now by clicking here), check out the socials across the interwebs found when you hit here or here.