I’ve been a dedicated Hands Like Houses fan for years. I’ve seen them grow as a band, advancing from Ground Dweller to Unimagine, and then try something new with Reimagine. They have a unique, ever-changing sound that remains similar, but none of it sounds completely alike.
Dissonants was released on February 26th, 2016, and it’s the band’s third full-length album.
“I Am” was the first song they released from the album, and I can remember them playing it during their 2015 Warped Tour performance. When I heard it for the first time, it made me incredibly excited for the full album release. Of course I knew it’d be great, considering everything they put out is. I just didn’t entirely realize how it would lead up to their best album yet.
I waited months for Dissonants. I went through periods of wondering why it was taking so long, or if their sound was going to change much with them no longer having a keyboardist. Unimagine had been released a year after Ground Dweller, yet that was near the beginning of the band’s lifespan. With Dissonants coming out in 2016, that’s an almost three-year gap after the 2013 Unimagine release.
Dissonants is a little more “heavy” than some of their past work. In no way is it a “heavy” album, but in comparison to some of their past songs, it’s maybe a half of a notch up or so. Trenton, the band’s lead singer, utilizes impressive vocal techniques and there seems to be more musical solos, which intensifies the songs some.
I really enjoy this album. It genuinely makes me believe that Hands Like Houses is going to be a band that sticks around for a while. They’ve continued to release new music and music videos, and all of the members seem to be very dedicated to what they do. While this can be said about many other bands that have fallen apart, I suppose I just have a good feeling about my favorite band out there.
