ALBUM REVIEW: “The Slideshow Effect” by Memoryhouse

Memoryhouse
The Slideshow Effect
[Sub Pop]

Memoryhouse‘s Evan Abeele and Denise Nouvion, often compared to fellow dream pop darlings and labelmates Beach House drops their debut LP The Slideshow Effect on the Sub Pop label this month. From the subdued a capella beginnings of “Little Expressionless Animals” we suspect that this will not simply be another dream pop record. The immediate follow up of indie rock tinged “The Kids Were Waiting” confirms this suspicion.

“Punctum” is deliciously folk-like, complete with lovely slide guitar. “Let’s get cold together,” exclaims Nouvion on “Bonfire” enveloping us with her calming warmth of her voice. The last three songs on the album moves back into Memoryhouse‘s dream pop wheelhouse albeit, a much more refined variation of their old sound. The Slideshow Effect is punctuated with the dreamlike transfixing “Old Haunts” which starts off slowly until it reaches a slightly feverish crescendo, and fades off as quietly as it began.

Evan Abeele and Denise Nouvion, the yin and yang that make up Memoryhouse, have crafted a quietly rocking album. Navigating their lo-fi dream pop sound towards a sometime folksy and more indie rock course, then back again. The Slideshow Effect may not be an album to rock out to, but it is definitely worth soaking in.