Customer Reviews

Monogamy

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is an outstanding following album for HOW. While at first, casual, listen the CD seems hard to get into, a closer listen and then repeated listenings lets the album open like a flower (sorry, bad analogy but true).
This is music that grows with you, it does not just grows old. A couple of years later and I still put this on from time to time. There is soemthing very engrossing about the songs here. While many seem simple they can be very complex. And the lyrics are thoughtful, something often missing in the synthpop genre.
Yeah, I said synthpop, which is pigeon-holing the band too much. They sound like Depeche Mode the way Depeche Mode sounds like Don McLean, i.e. not at all. But they do make left of center pop music with electronics, so...
Heck, I would release them on my label in a minute :-)

-Dave

This may be my favorate cd of all time. House of Wires is an obscure techno group that was on Tooth and Nail's Plastiq Musiq label. Why they were dropped I do not know.

Monogamy is influenced by 80's techno pop but is more arty and thoughtful.

The vocals are understated but wonderful, going perfectly with the music. If you like OMD's vocalizations, as I do, House of Wires is even better, if you can believe that.

The cd has quite a range in mood, from the fun World of the Future and Caroline to the downbeat The Door with 5000 Locks. The later is an incredible song, both in it's slow, etherial, yet powerful instrumentation and in its spare, but deep, perceptive lyrics. Creating a sound like a camera going off, yet also using haunting strings and piano, The Door with 5000 Locks is typical of HofW's creative versitility.

Yes, this is a "Christian" cd. But don't let that scare you. It's not preachy at all. It's a shame this cd has not reached a wider audience. It deserves to.

But, hey, you can know some incredible music hardly anyone else does.

This album is somewhat melancholy- like someone nearing the end of a long romance, but at peace with himself and gaining a perspective on the world. "Where is my Mind?" is an awe inspiring, spacy synth version of the Pixies' classic. The others are wonderful synth songs like those you can listen to on their later release, Monogamy [...].

House of Wires distill the smooth, high production values of great New Wave bands and adds maturity, sophistication, and lots of sounds I've never heard out of a synthesizer before. The vocalist has a pleasing, sonorous voice; the music is all wonderfully listenable and enjoyable without being boring. I bore easily so I listen to mostly alternative styles of music; there is nothing better than finding an artist that does very new things in a truly listenable and enjoyable way.

This is synth at its best- House of Wires' best album to date, (as of 2001), and possibly my favorite album on Earth. It distills the smooth, high production values of great New Wave bands and adds maturity, sophistication, and lots of sounds I've never heard out of a synthesizer before. The vocalist has a pleasing honey voice; the music is all wonderfully listenable and enjoyable without being boring. I bore easily so I listen to mostly alternative styles of music; there is nothing better than finding an artist that does new things in a truly listenable and enjoyable way. The album has quite a bit of variety, but it all comes from the melancholy, but winningly optimistic tone of your best friend.

My favorite lyric is
"oh incredulous you, with your bitter age
can you see the stars? do they fall like rain?
oh innocent child, you were so long ago
do you still hear God? does he call out your name?"

PS. Forget the last song- it's a joke.

This is synth at its best- House of Wires' best album to date, (as of 2001), and possibly my favorite album on Earth. It distills the smooth, high production values of great New Wave bands and adds maturity, sophistication, and lots of sounds I've never heard out of a synthesizer before. The vocalist has a pleasing honey voice; the music is all wonderfully listenable and enjoyable without being boring. I bore easily so I listen to mostly alternative styles of music; there is nothing better than finding an artist that does new things in a truly listenable and enjoyable way. The album has quite a bit of variety, but it all comes from the melancholy, but winningly optimistic tone of your best friend.

My favorite lyric is
"oh incredulous you, with your bitter age
can you see the stars? do they fall like rain?
oh innocent child, you were so long ago
do you still hear God? does he call out your name?"

PS. Forget the last song- it's a joke.

I'm suprised how powerful this album is considering how minimalistic the sound is. The vocals aren't even too strong, but it's the melodies and uniqueness of some of the songs that make this album awesome. The first song is a little dancy, sort of like joy electric, only more depressing, as is house of wire's style. World of the future is okay, but kind of long. Monogamy isn't too great either. After that, however, it really starts to get cool. Door with 5000 locks, Your side of the mask, and Mad at the world are all very cool. The first two are slow, with light electonic beats and sounds, both sounding very haunting. Mad at the World is a cover song with a very catchy tune, one that I can't get out of my head. Other songs are pretty good to, such as Belief, Solitare, and Song of Siberia. This is for fans of bands such as Depeche mode who understand that this music isn't as dancable or overwhelming, but rather laid back and enchanting. The only reason I gave four stars is for the couple of songs I don't like too much. Overall, though, this is a good album. For people who like depressing music, but understand that God is always there to help when you feel down.