The House Flies are a side project of grunge metal act Murnau, led by vocalist, guitarist and keyboard player Alex Riggen. They’ve just hit my radar thanks to their debut EP, inspired by Goth and post punk legends such as Joy Division, The Cure and Sisters of Mercy. It’s called Glimmer.
By Graeme Smith
Feature photo by Alex Riggen
The EP opens with Hounds. A gentle, haunting intro grows into a steady, gloomy rock arrangement. Expressive vocals come in, understated but grabbing your attention with their uniqueness. As the track reaches its midpoint, the simmering boils over with licks of guitar and pleading notes. It’s a strong start.
Sequin feels livelier without losing any of the atmosphere created by Hounds. It’s a reworking of a song Alex wrote 20 years ago for a former band and I think it’s benefited from being revisited. It canters along with a modest swagger and a catchy groove. It’s a definite highlight.
Blue feels delicate and romantic, in its own twisted way. Stripped back and experimental, it combines plodding bass with eccentric high notes. Perhaps what stood out most to me about it though was its poetic and image-full lyric. Fans of the Twin Peaks soundtrack would approve.
The EP is closed out by Apple. It opens in a creepy kind of way, with emotive vocals and clashing layers of guitar, drums and bass. As the track progresses, we get siren-like keys and a growing sense of pressure. It’s a track that lingers and is the perfect choice to leave the listener with.
If you can’t get enough of ’80s Goth and post punk bands, then you have to listen to Glimmer. With this EP, The House Flies have brought the classic sound right up to date without losing any of its foundations. The band have started work on a full length album and I’m excited to hear more from them. I hope you will be too. You can check out the whole of Glimmer below.