ARTIST: Hands Like Houses
ALBUM: Unimagine
GENRE: Post hardcore
LABEL: Rise Records

After dropping their very successful album last year, Australian rockers Hands Like Houses wasted no time embarking on both local and world tours. They have experienced a ton of success, and seem to just keep getting more popular. I can say that I personally was a huge fan of Ground Dweller, it had a unique sound, and a unique group of guys who were making it all happen. When I heard they would release a new album this year, I was definitely excited to hear the news. I’m sure I wasn’t the only one. Following up to such a great debut album is a difficult task – a challenge that the six Aussies were ready to tackle.

Unimagine starts off with a smooth guitar intro in “Developments.” Trenton begins to sing, “We get in our own way / tripping on our feet / filling up our heads too much with words too hard to speak,” and you’re hooked. It’s easy to tell right away that the best thing these guys have going for them is their lyricism. It’s definitely not the only thing, but it’s easily a huge reason they’ve been so successful so far. That, along with their intricate guitar parts and occasional electronic sounds carefully weaved into the songs are what’s going to make this album just as huge of a release.

“Introduced Species” was the band’s first single, and it painted a clear picture of what we could expect from the rest of the album. While it has a familiar sound, hailing back to their debut album, this track also offers a cleverly written chorus which is effortlessly sung by the talented Trenton. This is my personal favorite track, it’s full of energy and a catchy chorus that will quickly have you singing along. Most of the tracks on this album have that same high energy, and are a faster pace than their previous release. You may also notice Trenton’s voice is more defined, this is something that you will hear on all of the songs.

“A Tale Of Outer Suburbia” slows things down a bit, but doesn’t fail to deliver the continuous stream of skillful lyricism. They take things down another notch from that with the next track, “Oceandust.” This is another one of my personal favorite tracks. Trenton starts off singing alongside a piano, with an acoustic guitar quietly playing in the background. A little over halfway through the track the guitarist shows off a little bit of fast finger work, then the vocals build up into the whole group singing the chorus. If there’s one song you should pay close attention to the lyrics on, it should be this one.

There are too many memorable songs to name them all, and all I can say is that you should listen to their singles and make your decision based off that. You won’t regret your decision. Some other noteworthy tracks are “Shapeshifters,” “No Parallels,” and “Fountainhead.” I could say something positive about all of these songs. Though the instruments on the album have some very memorable moments, they don’t stand out a lot on the album.

This is a great album as a whole. There are some tracks that sound like they could have just as easily been on Ground Dweller though, which isn’t the worst thing since that album was great. However, it’s not necessarily something you want to hear when you are looking forward to hearing how the band has grown since their previous release(s). I don’t feel like this album is a huge leap forward in sound, but considering it’s their sophomore release just a year after their debut, I would be hard pressed to say this isn’t a step in the right direction for the band. I know I am looking forward to many more years of Hands Like Houses touring and releasing more albums.

SCORE: 9/10
Reviewed by Kriston McConnell

• Author
• Recent Posts

Kriston McConnell

Latest posts by Kriston McConnell (see all)

• Lucasfilm Confirms Plans To Develop New ‘Indiana Jones’ Film - May 5, 2015
• REVIEW: Alesana – ‘Confessions’ - April 29, 2015
• Our Last Night Stream New Single, “Home” - April 29, 2015