Inspired by Eighties icons Whitney Houston, Patti LaBelle, and Michael McDonald, Austin’s Sloan Struble exhibits a far greater understanding of himself on second full-length Harmony House. Like his 2018 debut Fuzzybrain, the 21-year-old Texan’s follow-up emerges from the comfort of his parents’ home. Composed, produced, and mastered by he who we know as Dayglow, the literal bedroom-pop collection carves each delicate branch into a trunk holding light rock guitar progressions and smooth transitions. Lead track “Something” prepares the way for the bright-eyed grooves to come, but in focusing on the balance of change, the album turns from bouncing tempos to more relaxed stylings. While listeners are “Crying On the Dancefloor,” spirited synths carry into balmy Seventies yacht rock until rising into the soft sunshine of “Woah Man.” Where the premiere LP saw the singer introduce his dream by utilizing playful melodies, the sophomore effort boasts darker atmospheres, while never losing the singer’s innocence. The soundtrack of a hopeful soul tied together by a string of repeating melodies, Harmony House builds palpable audio happiness. As the last copacetic notes of “Like Ivy” linger, the warm home he manifests in music feels way too comforting to exit.
This article appears in May 21 • 2021.