Release Date: February 14th, 2012
In the end of January, Pop ‘stache gave a short preview of the upcoming release from brother duo Funeral Home. As the third song ever released by these two, “Here Below” was referred to as a “subdued version of the Smashing Pumpkins” with their melancholy garage rock. Their self-titled debut EP follows to suit with a dreamy blend of fuzzy lo-fi pop.
Originally from Chicago, brothers Taylor and Jamison Mackillop have moved their separate ways – one in Virginia and the other Indiana – but are still able to make music virtually. Since splitting up their previous band Tiger Cub, the duo has taken on a more matured, full sound. Funeral Home has an emo-punk aftertaste in songs like “A Song You Can Fall Asleep To,” but the layered hazy instrumentation adds a mechanized grunge feel to the album.
Using a bass, guitar and a slew of computerized beats, Funeral Home concocts a gritty shoegaze with just enough nostalgic guitar licks to please fans of Brand New’s “Me vs. Maradona vs. Elvis.” Not only does Funeral Home craft a modernized breed of 1990s grunge, they do it with such ease by flowing through the album as though it was only one track. Their bubbly sound is coated with dark overtones making the power-pop tendencies much easier to stomach. From start to finish, Funeral Home brands itself with just enough from each genre it pulls from.
Spanning about a third of the EP, at a little over seven and a half minutes, is the epic journey of “Sweet Dreams.” The slow, steady climb throughout this song makes it so worth the wait when a hazed guitar battle ensues. Reflective and calming, “Sweet Dreams” has sparse lyrics and relies mostly on guitar reverb. The song is engulfing, youthful and filled with hope. And as the lyric says, “just close your eyes and sink away.”
Funeral Home ends this EP on a bright note with “Phoenix (Outro).” Chiming synth and a mellow drum loop steadily circle around a slowly progressing guitar line. Through intertwining beat skips and dreamy melodies, “Phoenix (Outro)” turns into a spacious lullaby. Funeral Home reaches a new dimension in this song. The other wise seen pop-punk tendencies have been almost entirely eliminated and replaced with an earthy shoegaze feel to bring this album full circle.
It’s hard to find music today without heavily computerized sound, but Funeral Home has done it with a refreshing twist. It’s a starry night kind of album. So throw on a pair of headphones, cruise the streets or daze upon the crashing waters with the longing wonder of Funeral Home.
Funeral Home – Funeral Home EP tracklist:
- “Here Below”
- “A Song You Can Fall Asleep To”
- “St. Jude”
- “Sweet Dream”
- “Phoenix (Outro)”
