Backward Houses

Darkwave is not a term you hear very often, at least in the mainstream arena. However Backward Houses have no intention of giving up their style to fit into what the current radio stations have deemed “cool”.

This London based band was originally formed in 2014 by songwriters Indigo Strange and Rob Batizon, until earlier this year when joined by Neeq Serene on vocals. With a dark and moody atmosphere hanging around them, they weave a curious spell over the listener.

The first three tracks from this moody psychedelic trio are here, Iridescence, Pseudo Sane, and Departure. Each track flows into the next with ease, this is not so much a three track album as it is a short audio experience.

With a range of elements present in each track, Backward Houses blend synth pop with dark moody lyrics and vocals. Creating a dark tapestry, they paint vivid images with the lyrics that are complimented by the instrumentation at every turn. Occasionally ambient and soothing, but never boring. These three demo tracks are a incredibly produced and mixed, showing the time and effort that must have gone into them.

Each song will draw you in more and more as time progresses, you will be pulled into their swirling cavalcade of sound. Encompassed by the atmosphere they work so hard to build up, the vocals are strong across the board as the instruments are the glue holding it all together.

Darkwave is not a genre I am very familiar with, however if Backward Houses are any indication of the quality and variety to be found within, I have been sold and it is entirely due to the creative minds that make up Backward Houses. - 24ourmusic

To start things off we introduce you to a Backward Houses, a trio from the Norwich and London areas. Barely a year old, this band makes soul-crushing music. They could easily have gone down the Daughter path like so many bands these days, but instead they’re traveling the indie-rock pathways that artists like Sharon Van Etten, TORRES, and Angel Olsen have laid. One of their “new” singles – it’s actually a demo – is “Pseudo Sane”, which is absolutely gorgeous. The tickling of Rob Batizon’s guitar, the strumming of Indigo Strange’s bass guitar which mimics a fluttering heart, and the stunning and immersive vocals of Neeq Serene all at first reel you into this introspective and thoughtful song. As the song builds and the intensity rises, every note and spoken word collides, thus making you feel like the protagonist spiraling into a mass of uncertainty. Such are the effects of mental illness, which Backward Houses have so adeptly conveyed on this beautiful track. And if this is a demo, we cannot wait to hear what the mastered version will sound like!

Backward Houses are Neeq Serene (vocals), Indigo Strange (bass/drum machine), and Rob Batizon (guitars/drum machine). - Revue.ca