Our votes are on one particular album to cap off what has been, hands down, a fantastic summer: the unfalteringly bittersweet All Night by Houses. If I had to guess, I would say that this album was recorded in Hawaii with the bare minimum of electricity and no running water. And I would be right, as the duo left Chicago to pursue many things creative in the baby of the 50 states.

The single ‘Endless Spring‘ plays like something out of the Lion King—yes, a Disney-fied, African sunrise, set in Hawaii—and boasts some tactfully vocal editing over the plodding kick drum. It is dreamlike, floating, blissful and like many tracks on the album, it would have fit right in on the soundtrack to Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.

As more upbeat electronica, ‘Reds‘ stands out with some neat percussion. Starting out bass-less, the closest thing a keyboard will come to the slap bass from the Mighty Boosh kicks in at the first chorus. ‘Soak It Up‘ does not stop at absorbing impressions, the song also gently squeezes that emotional sponge to cause a tranquil outpouring of feelings beyond description. Its disco kick combines with a simple synth loop to make a pretty stunning, minimalist track about savoring our most fragile moments. There is also a beautiful, duetted chorus.

At times, the overwhelming ambience of the album may get the better of the listener. ‘Rose Book‘ weaves through textures in best chillwave-fashion—but for the snare, it would be impossible to get a grip of the track—but it feels like that’s been done better elsewhere. In that case, ‘Sleeping‘ does a better job of recording a stream of consciousness, with the theme once again being the vitality in siezing the moment,

All Night is one to be played in the early hours of the day after a treasured evening. Sure, it may have us overdose on the mishy-mooshy, but doing that is also kind of nice.

Words Sven Carlsson
Buy All Night