Album Review :
The House And The Human - It Began With A Chorus...
Band: The House And The Human
Title: It Began With A Chorus…
Label: N/A
Release Date: 2009
Review By: Scott L
Tracklisting:
- Bittersweet
- Take Me As I Am
- Madeline
- Something I’m Not
- Running Days Into Years
- A Song For The Unsound
- Wait
I’ve got this friend named Tony. Actually, I’ve got two friends named Tony. One is now a pastor in Washington and the other is in my church’s worship team. Both are musicians, but the one that I’m thinking about is the one in the worship team. I jokingly refer to him as “Tony Lee All-Star Band” because he’s one of those people that can pretty much play anything. And make it sound good as well. His usual instrument of choice, however, is his acoustic guitar on which he can craft some amazing songs. And I said all that to say this, I have a definite soft spot for simple solo caustic guitar. There’s just something about the basic beauty of it. Which brings me to the reason for this review. Because the majority of this EP is all about a guy and his guitar… but, no, it’s not my buddy Tony… it’s The House And The Human.
The House And The Human is David Jahns (pronounced ‘Johns”). Hailing from Nashville, Tennessee, David plays a rootsy, almost folkish brand of indie rock. As I mentioned above, this EP is heavy on the acoustic guitar and layered around mournfully pleading vocals, which reminded me of Bill Mallonee in places and of Daniel French in other places. A little piano and a bit of percussion are thrown in towards the end of the EP, but for the most part it’s a guy and his guitar and you can almost smell the fresh ground coffee. So if you’re into stuff like A Color Quiet, Carter Hulsey, or Joey Ryan… this should be right on target for you.
Lyrically, The House And The Human stays pretty close to the center line. The songs are predominantly thoughtful with allusions to spirituality sprinkled here and there. Consider the song “Something I’m Not”, which says, “there’s 900 miles between me and that place that I used to call my home / ain’t got much money these days / but I’ll get by / I spent my years playing it safe / by the books / living the good life as some may perceive / but I’ve got to say / I have yet to miss that place and the life that it offered me / cause I hear the road next to me / the whisper of a cool southern breeze blows soft on my cheek as I realize there’s no place that I’d rather be / can’t be something I’m not / no matter what they said to me / I’ll live without their company / money’s gonna take you so far / well that’s of no concern to me / yeah, I’ll die poor and happily / I will be just fine / I’ll be more than just fine / cause I hear the road next to me / the whisper of a cool southern breeze blows soft on my cheek as I realize there’s no place that I’d rather be than right here / underneath a clear sky with grass at my knees / playing my favorite songs to some faces that I’ve never seen”.
David writes, “I was made in the likeness of The Creator. Therefore, I create. The House and the Human began in September of 2008, and has had one goal since: to touch the hearts of the listeners. There are a million artists out there who are better than myself. I’m not a poet, I’m not a very good singer, and I’m not an amazing musician. I believe that music should stimulate the emotions of the listener. The songs you will hear here are not written for the sake of catchiness or showing off my musicianship. These songs have meaning to me, and I hope that one or more of them can mean something to you as well. That is what this is about.”
The standout track was “A Song For The Unsound”. Not only is that a really cool song name, but the song itself is airy and hopeful. Given the nature of the CD, pretty much all of the songs have, at least in general, a similar overall feel… however, “A Song For The Unsound” just really stood out.
Overall: The House And The Human’s 7-song EP, “It Began With A Chorus…” is short on fluff and long on heart. Scaled back acoustic tunes with an easy flow and a positive spin. I look forward to hearing more in the future.
www.myspace.com/thehouseandthehuman