If I Don’t Make It, I Love U by Still House Plants

Rarely do we see a band that can create a cohesive sound out of a freeform structure, landing hits and riffs in unexpected places but subconsciously communicating with each other so clearly that even the most unsteady moments still make musical sense. One such example comes on the latest from Still House Plants, If I Don’t Make It, I Love U, an experimental album out of London that evades all categorization. Coffee shop jazz vocals slide in and out of an experimental rhythmical pocket constructed by a hard-hitting yet intentionally minimal drum kit, all while post rock guitars ride along the emotional peaks and troughs. The aesthetics of traditional balladry are here without their accompanying structure, full of catchy vocal riffs but steering clear of any sort of simple verse and chorus form. We feel delightfully disoriented, wandering through this mirror maze, clinging to individual, recognizable reflections for support as we stagger around the unfamiliar landscape.