The Black House are from South Devon in the UK and they specialize in a dark brooding sort of 'nearly acoustic' songs, which take influences from Nick Cave, Tom Waits and the like; people who can tell a tale from the places where the sun has gone out, so to speak. All the music on Postcard From An Abandoned Hotel moves at a slowish and gentle pace, but the lyrics and the stories they tell crank the unease factor up to the max. Vocalist Ian Porter's vocal style is English in delivery, but has elements of Lou Reed and also Brad Roberts of Crash Tests Dummies in there to lend the songs an air of that sort of 'lived in' vibe, which only adds to the atmospheres created in each composition.
'1989' gets the proceedings off to a good start with gentle flowing music which creates just the right amount of melancholy to underpin the vocal narrative dealing with reminiscing about a past love. 'Brown Paper Bag' meanders along with a nagging electric piano figure and some fine acoustic picking to support the vocals. 'The Wasting Time' deals with the tenderness coupled with the sense of futility experienced when one has an affair, whilst the album's title track signs the album off with dark and uneasy musings on the breakdown of a relationship, supported by a chilly and autumnal instrumental backing.
Postcard From An Abandoned Hotel is uneasy listening personified, it takes you on a journey through the darker, sadder and lonelier side of life. In some ways it gives one a reassurance that there are other people worse off than you, but it compels you to spend time in this world, just to see what it's like there. The ensemble playing is absolutely spot on and all the playing and the music performed fits with the vibe being created by the lyrics and Ian's vocal delivery. All in all, it ain't uplifting, but it is compelling, which I believe is what the band set out to achieve and they have done so perfectly.
Reviewed by Kevin Wallbank of M100 and Honeymoon on Mars
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