Kids In Glass Houses

My hearts beating faster, I’m panting and I’m in need of a glass of water. It’s not a gym class that has got me into this state it’s Kids in Glass Houses new album ‘Peace’. KIGH have taken me on a ten track ‘sing as loud as you can with us’ album and I just can’t get enough! This album has me hooked and for all the right reasons. This is the bands fourth studio album and I think it is their best yet. Their last album, which they say will be their one and only concept album, ´In Gold Blood’ got mixed reviews with the sound taking a darker passage. With this new release, Aled, the bands singer, said, “The approach to this record was to do something in the vein of what we used to do, where we focused on writing singles, as on ‘Smart Casual’ and ‘Dirt’. We tried to make each song as catchy and memorable as possible.” And they do just that. Although they wanted to go back to writing catchy pop rock tunes the sound has grown. Aled’s voice sings with experience. His lyrics are stronger. One thing that hasn’t changed, however, is the fire and passion from both the singer and the band. It’s ferocious and they are on fire! If going on endless headline tours and supporting acts like Fall Out Boy and Paramore helps them to develop in such a way that they end up producing work like this then they don’t need to change the recipe much. Well, maybe less support tours and more headlining tours but I’m just being selfish and thinking of ways for us to have more of them on the stage for longer!

“Peace in the valley and sex in my soul, death to my body, bury me in rock and roll,” screams Aled in the opening track with the band thumping out their instruments behind him while the song begs the listener to jump around like mad.
Single release ‘Drive’ comes in next at the same tempo not giving you a moment’s break. But we don’t need one. Give us more!
Track three has to be a tour favourite for the fans. “Set my body freeeeee,” sings Aled. Pure pop rock at its very finest and they deliver it perfectly.
VIP will have your already sore throat croaking to its limit. If you happen to pass by a window and see a female pointing randomly in the air , yep, that’ll be me shouting along, “if all men are created equal, then who are all these VI People”. A song to get all that VIP anger out at.
Getting into ‘Stormchasers’ you initially think you have a slowed down tempo song to give your vocal chords a break. Don’t be silly! Aled is reminiscing and you’ll be doing the same while screaming along side him, “now everybody’s moving on, and everything I knew is gone”. A great lighter-in-the-air song.
The final song on the album takes the tempo down a few notches which is just what the doctor ordered. You’ll be exhausted and completely done and as you throw yourself on that sofa to reflect on the ride that KIGH has just taken on you’ll realise that ‘Nightcrawler’ is the perfect ending to a damn good album.
I challenge you to not break a sweat to this album. It’s impossible to listen to it and not throw yourself about. Celebrate great British pop rock and catch them on tour where you can jump and sweat to your hearts content amongst other like-minded folk. They’ve gained a new fan in me and you may just see me there, too.