La Dispute released their third full- length studio album Rooms of the House on Mar. 18th. This is a true band made album. Each member carried out all of the writing, composition and publishing through their new label, Better Living. With the help of producer, Will Yip all of the hard work accumulated to the jewel that is Rooms of the House.
La Dispute hails from Grand Rapids, MI and the members made certain to retain their native land in the new album. The five-piece band rented out a cabin in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan for five weeks to perfect the writing of the lyrics. If any band takes their writing seriously, it is La Dispute. The storytelling portrayed in each album is so strong and transcendent. The songs put out by this band are almost like story books for adults in the circumstances and meanings told through the barking of Jordan Dreyer’s voice.
This album is different from the others in the way that the band seems to take musical factors back to basics, from the writing process to the instrumentals. The audio is not as heavy as Wildlife and Somewhere at the Bottom of the River Between Vega and Altair, but hold the language perfectly. The lyrics of each album are written almost as prose or poetry, but past album lyrics were more extensive and applicable to daily life. Rooms of the House focuses more on a chronicle of two fictitious characters, and as it goes on, you become immersed into the language as if you were one of the characters in the house.
The characters that the band created are real and relatable, and anyone can find truth in the situations written about in Rooms of the House. La Disputes first single from the album is called, “Stay Happy Here.” This song applies to many different songs on the album and develops the characters in an authentic way. Every track on this album works to express the meaning of certain objects around the house and how it affects inhabitants on an existential level. Even when you have left a home, job, or anywhere; you have left a mark there.
Before writing this review I always labeled La Dispute as a post-hardcore band after only listening to a handful of their songs. Oh man, was I wrong. You cannot categorize this band with any musical genre classification. When I truly divulged into their discography, I was blown away. This group started out in 2004 and has continued to go on and morph throughout their impressive career.
With Rooms of the House I feel La Dispute has found their true sound and come into their own, unique musical style. The members of La Dispute are true musicians and it is inspiring to experience a group take their music to heart the way La Dispute does. You can feel it not only in the lyrics, but in every strum of the guitar, slap of the bass, and beat of the drums. The 11 track studio album is worth a listen, so do yourself a favor, and check it out to experience a storytelling adventure constructed through tantalizing musical composition.
Some of the proceeds from the new record will go towards certain causes that focus on youth involvement in art and music. Also, be sure to check out La Dispute’s current tour going on with Pianos Become the Teeth and Mansions.
