La Dispute Rooms of the House

 

It's hard to find a mid-ground when it comes to La Dispute. Somewhere At The Bottom Of The River Between Vega And Altair and Hear,Here III are the records that stand out to me and while Rooms Of The House manages to continue their lyrical narrative about human relationships and connectivity. It steers La Dispute into a wider musical exploration, as they divert into a more melodic stream. Nonetheless, they still exemplify what they've been adored for over the years - a record with heart and soul.

The majority of tracks lie in the mid-tempo to slow range musically as La Dispute resist the inclination to go with heavier, drowned out post-hardcore sounds. There's enough on the opener "HUDSONVILLE MI 1956" to claim a typical La Dispute sound in its thick bassline and dramatic post-punk guitarwork while still instilling in you a hint that something different will ensue. Coupled with "First Reactions After Falling Through the Ice", you get an early sense that the record touches on isolation and liberation as they opt for a more melodic layout and a cleaner production compared to old, which their close friends Touche Amore also toyed with last year, to relatively critical acclaim. This throws back to when bands like Thursday, The Used or Taking Back Sunday also branched out to varying sounds but fans should gain relief as most of the tracks indicate while there's a subversion of sorts, La Dispute still doesn't totally lose their essence.

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