Porches “The House” Album Review 

Alternating between interludes, to narrative collaborations starring his father, girlfriend, and reputable artist and friend Sandy (Alex G), Aaron Maine’s third album The House gives listeners an introspective look into what could be considered his most personal album. Differentiating itself from previous albums, Pool and Slow Dance in the Cosmos, The House runs on a lyrical flow of storytelling.

Kicking off the fourteen tracked album, the steady synth beat track “Leave The House” introduces Maine’s duet with Sandy (Alex G’s) whose high airy vocals encapsulate the entire repetitious chorus of “let it happen” and “its never what I thought.” Essentially, “Leave The House” sets the overall tone of the album as Maine conveys the sense of uncertainty and insecurity found in stepping out of one’s comfort zone into the unfamiliarity of a new relationship.

Immediately contrasting the precedence of “Leave The House”, “Find Me”, showcases Maine’s homespun beats with its upbeat techno instrumentals. Similarly, “Anymore” runs on a fervent keyboard build up while “Goodbye” feature an optimistic upbeat hook. However, the album contains an equal balance in slow songs that reveal the evocative lyrics prevalent in the album. Seen in tracks like “Country”, with its slow keyboard ballads accompanied by Maine’s soft hypnic repetition in “Break the water with your arms.” Along with the down tempo melancholic keyboard ballads in “By My Side” and the slow but powerful mixed guitar and keyboard build up in “Ono.”

Skewing the album away from just full length songs, Maine took a stylistic leap in enriching The House with several tracks that act as interludes. Starting with narration conducted by Maine’s father in “Understanding”, Maine’s father’s recites a ballad that emits the feeling of submerging oneself in a relationship that goes beyond the norm, with a “love supreme and never ending.” Extending the love story further, singer and Maine’s girlfriend, Kaya Wilkins, narrates the poetic upbeat track “Akeran” in Norwegian.  The interlude contains chilling high back vocal harmonies that contrast against Wilkins euphonic recitation of Maine’s personal poem. Lyrically “Akeran” introduces the central leitmotif of the album that focuses on the imaginary relationship of Ricky and Julie. Ending on an happy note, the final track on the album, “Anything U Want”, implies a sweet optimistic consensus to the relationship of Ricky and Julie as Maine’s gentle voice concludes the album with a repetitious ode to the 3 most powerful words of intimacy, I love you.

In essence, The House is a host for Maine’s raw emotions that serve as the lyrical foundation to the album. Maine’s third album lyrically and instrumental exhibits Maine’s submergence into a new mature and emotionally provocative musical territory.