by Will Sisskind (@theparisbuns)
These times of isolation have further powered the bucking of musical traditions. Fueled by frustration over the crumbling of the music industry and fear over what the new normal will look like, musicians have found new ways to express themselves. Some artists and groups have already been playing around with warping established style, such as Los Angeles’s Cheekface and -- on the major label circuit -- Billie Eilish. Across the pond, there’s Lewsberg of Rotterdam, who released their album In This House at the end of March.
Although coronavirus took hold of the world long after Lewsberg began recording music for In This House, the album provides a fine soundtrack for long periods of loneliness and pondering. The opening track “Left Turn” clangs with a discordant guitar riff and Arie van Vliet’s speak-singing, along with arrhythmic anti-solos between the verses. “Cold Light of Day” creates a vibe for one to sway idly in their kitchen, perhaps while holding a spatula and banging it softly against a pot on every third beat. “From Never To Once” has a beat for one to dance to like nobody’s watching, which is perfect for a time when no one can possibly watch anyone dance, except through a Zoom chat or Facetime call. The six-minute long “The Door” begins like a peaceful nap before evolving into a feedback-filled trip, like slipping into a strange dream that one has when they don’t need to wake up in the morning.
Lewsberg takes cues from The Velvet Underground, and in fact, anyone who didn’t know better could mistake the two bands. Echoes of Talking Heads, Joy Division, and David Bowie trickle out from their sound as well. These bands all rose to fame due to their ability to channel the anger and confusion of the times and put it into melody and verse that attracted listeners. The darkness and experimentation on In This House covers the past couple of years of global instability, health crises, questions of identity, and trepidation about the future. It keeps listeners on their toes, just as the world has kept people walking on eggshells. As the album ends with a two-minute minor-key instrumental refrain on “Standard Procedures,” it acts as a reminder of the repeating of our days, and the uncertainty about when change will come.
Despite the nihilism inherent in Lewsberg’s new music, the variety on the album provides a silver platter for any music lover. In This House doesn’t just reflect these times; it reflects a whole area of human existence, and therefore could make for the soundtrack for any month of any year, even one when the sun is out and people are walking around free of fear. There’s always something to worry about, after all.