House of Spirits

A must-have addition to already almost perfect catalog. [No. 110, p.55]

There are differences around the edges that are making Fresh & Onlys ever more interesting, fresher and more singular, a better version of what they have been promising all along.

House of Spirits doesn't bring much in the way of sonic surprises beyond a few drum machines and synths, but it does find the band making subtle changes to its M.O., delivering a set of songs that's less urgent, but--in a freaky-yet-endearing way--more personal.

Overall, the Fresh & Onlys have retained the standard of excellence established over the past half decade or so across a myriad releases for a number of well-regarded indie labels and crafted a solid release worthy of more in-depth consideration and late-night spins after everyone else has gone home and you’re left alone contemplating your own house of spirits.

Those who continue to stick with the band will find themselves rewarded with another fine addition to an impressive catalog and an example of grown-up psych pop that's both calming and soul-searching, while never being anything less than completely enjoyable.

This is no identity crisis, it's the sound of beautiful evolution.

Not all the songs on House of Spirits have as much personality, or so defined a sense of place.

Despite a handful of structurally underdeveloped songs like designated rock-driver "Hummingbird," compelling moments carry the day.

Although the construction of these songs are as stacked as on other F&O albums, this time around, the piling up of bridges, solos, and refrains only adds to House of Spirits’ tangible claustrophobia.

Wymond Miles’s imaginative guitar work is often enough to cover a multitude of sins (see the scorching lead on “Hummingbird” and the minimal flourishes on “April Fools”). For some listeners that will be enough, but overall the record feels structured more like a career-spanning live set than a cohesive collection.

House of Spirits isn't exactly urgent, but there's pleasure in its slowness.

Much of the album largely lives and dies by how much The Fresh & Onlys can animate five-decades old materials.

The Fresh & Onlys’ most cohesive record yet, House Of Spirits doesn’t break any new ground or take any unexpected detours, but rather solidifies their position as the foremost new-wave revivalists around. Read more at http://www.musicomh.com/reviews/albums/fresh-onlys-house-spirits#cdqLV5AbrbDVF9DB.99

It's all moodily pleasant but never immersive. House of Spirits is a slow-burner that ultimately chokes on the ashes of its own grayscale lethargy.

Where Tim Cohen’s vocals should soar, scream or sink low, they remain at a consistent monotone, rendering his occasionally poetic lyrics into lukewarm sentiments that do not invite further investigation.

House of Spirits is the saturnine successor nobody asked for, a detour though a bramble patch running parallel to a stretch of open road.