Continued from page 11
Chadwick definitely misses the interplay of guitarist and foil Terry Bickers . After four decades of compromising with bandmates and record labels , Chadwick deserves to carry on with his version of the band . But he ' s not coming close to matching his formal glories .
- John Vernon Appearing 10 / 23 at Lincoln Hall , Chicago .
5
THE HOUSE OF LOVE A State of Grace
( Cherry Red )
It ’ s hard to index indie rock from the late ' 80s and early ' 90s without including The House Love in your collection . Their 1988 debut album on Creation Records was a benchmark for the coming wave of shoegaze meshed with Terry Bickers ( Johnny Marr level ) jangle guitar work . It ’ s still a stunning debut . Their major label “ Fontana ” follow-up is not far behind , with timeless singles “ Shine On ” and “ I Don ’ t Know Why I Love You ” offering up waves of melodic guitars and Guy Chadwick ' s sinister vocals . More solid albums followed ( without Bickers ), but HOL was stuck in the cliche of major label indifference and a storm of grunge rock that drowned out their textured approach , and they remained a largely college radio cult band . Thankfully Bickers and Chadwick reunited with Matt Jury and Pete Evans for two decent albums in the 2000s , continuing a more muted approach to jangle and noise they made 15 years earlier . Since the pandemic began , Chadwick found new players that reenergized his approach to HOL Mach IV in a new decade , turning up the volume for A State of Grace , that ' s essentially a Guy Chadwick solo album . Chadwick has always dabbled in blues rock (“ Hedonist ,” “ Yer Eyes ”), but it was hidden on previous albums by layers of reverb and swampy guitars . A State of Grace is his coming out party declaring his love of the blues on album opener “ Sweet Loser .” Despite its searing harmonica work , it ' s a bit of a throwaway for longtime listeners . “ Light of the Morning ” marries gothy Canned Heat with country rock banjo and Elvis ‘ 73 backing singers . Lead single “ Clouds ” is Marc Bolan reincarnated with its glam rock guitars and crunchy choruses - one of the better moments for the new HOL . Old school House Of Love fans will find “ In My Mind ” the closest sonic reincarnation to the Fontana era of the band , with its layered harmonies and ringing guitars . The rest of A State of Grace is somewhat unremarkable .
THE AFGHAN WHIGS How Do You Burn ?
( Royal Cream / BMG )
As soon as the album opener “ I ’ ll Make You See God ” pummels the listener with the blunt force of a freight train , one can tell that How Do You Burn ? Is a totally separate entity from Greg Dulli ’ s 2020 solo album Random Desire . Where that album was a hushed meditation painted in greyscale , How Do You Burn ? the ninth studio album from The Afghan Whigs gyrates and twists through a wide range of feels and textures . Maybe it was the months of isolation following the release of the solo record that triggered a return to the soulful garage rock of The Afghan Whigs ’ tenure on Sub Pop Records . Recently-deceased collaborator Mark Lanegan donned the album with its provocative title during the recording , and it so happens that the album certainly does burn with a red hot intensity that is in sync with its crimson album cover . “ Catch A
16 illinoisentertainer . com october 2022
Continued page 16