The House
by Porches
  • Record Label: Domino
  • Release Date: Jan 19, 2018
Metascore
69

Generally favorable reviews - based on 18 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 14 out of 18
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 18
  3. Negative: 1 out of 18
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  1. The Guardian
    Jan 19, 2018
    60
    An album whose messages can be watery, but Porches’ tendency to swim upstream is satisfying nonetheless.
  2. Mojo
    Jan 16, 2018
    60
    Before long, these initially detached settings establish a magnetic, narcotic allure, filled with elliptical hooks and images. [Feb 2018, p.97]
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  3. The A.V. Club
    Jan 19, 2018
    50
    Maine turns in some of his best songs yet, with “Country,” “Now The Water,” and “Find Me” all showcasing his skill as a crooner, but around its midpoint, the album starts to sag. The House’s three interludes feel less like connective tissue and more like unfinished filler, and the album’s back half ends up seeming rote.

Awards & Rankings

65
#65 Most Shared Album of 2018

User Reviews

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User Score
7.1

Generally favorable reviews- based on 23 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 17 out of 23
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 23
  3. Negative: 0 out of 23
  1. DavidWasHere
    Feb 24, 2018
    7
    Porches continue the intoxicating retro-80s synthpop and intimate songwriting from their fantastic Pool with the House. There are somePorches continue the intoxicating retro-80s synthpop and intimate songwriting from their fantastic Pool with the House. There are some fantastic cuts like the techno dance number Find Me, the worldbeat-influenced Anymore, and Leave the House and Now the Water continues Aaron Maine's winning streak of great indie pop cuts with languid-yet-hypnotic atmosphere. However, there are a ton of cuts on here that feel more like filler, particularly the ones under 2 minutes. Country feels like a demo rather than a lead single, Akeren just hides it's bland composition with the Norwegian singing, and Swimmer is not a heartbreaking piano ballad from a robot, it's just obnoxious. But it's not like there are songs here that aren't underwhelming when they are longer. Wobble is a repetitive ballad with some of the worst synth tones for the "solo," By My Side is a bland 80s ballad that would have been found on a b-side to a beaten up 45 in a Goodwill. Of course this can be looked past for a solid indie pop album, however that is if you can look past Maine's languid delivery, which from my understanding is always the biggest deal breaker for people not into Porches. Which I can understand why, and there are times where the use of auto-tune does feel like overkill (particularly on Anymore, which I do like by the way, By My Side, Wobble, and Swimmer). The album is not as consistent as Pool, but if you were hooked on their past effort, there are tunes here that will win you over. Maybe not worth revisiting a ton, but still worthwhile in my eyes.… Full Review »
  2. OrenBrown
    Feb 23, 2018
    7
    Really nice production and vocal. A few beautiful tracks on this one, but also some filler that prevents it from being really standout.
  3. bigt187
    Jan 25, 2018
    4
    A head dive into a turbulent ocean, I think this would be the best way to describe the experience described by enjoying Porches' newest workA head dive into a turbulent ocean, I think this would be the best way to describe the experience described by enjoying Porches' newest work "The House" released on the Domino label. The first impression we have is an intimidating work by the hoarse vocals and so unattractive in conjunction with an experimental retro sound so unconvincing that unfortunately sums up the soundtrack of the album and continues until its term.
    Simple vocal verses and raw in contrast to a synthetically worked and sometimes lazy instruments build the work that however lyrically sincere is not so pleasant to hear.
    In relation to the lyric part, it is important to emphasize the quality of the compositions present in the album since they are the only positive part of the work. The theme usually marked by introspectivity and melancholia ranges from personal conflicts to interpersonal relationships in a sensitive emotional odyssey in a way in which despair and anxiety are quite present.
    Finally, we must emphasize that the final result is so little substantial or relevant when your previous work. Banal and tedious are appropriate terms to name this work that will surely be forgotten the moment after the album ends and is just a blur in the artist's discography.    … Full Review »
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