Hands Like HousesThe decade in which Canberra five-piece Hands Like Houses have cultivated their sound, their shows and their general place in among their melodic hardcore peers has been a solid one; three albums, chart success and scoring sweet slots on Download and Unify alongside acts like Alice Cooper, Red Hot Chilli Peppers and Disturbed is no easy feat.
But album number four has brought a distinct shift in sound. It’s one that isn’t as easily and instantly likeable because there’s nary a song on Anon. that grabs you by the ears and makes you wonder, ‘What is this?’ And if it does make you wonder, it’s for all the wrong reasons. Trenton Woodley’s voice is still a sleek powerhouse, but apart from reaching the high notes on tracks like Half-hearted, there’s little for him to do when song after song simply refuses to budge on pace, sentiment and attitude.
If Anon. had a colour, it would most definitely be beige. And that’s a shame because this band has been capable of affecting so much more by dipping their sheer talent in a bit of darkness.
