Home

Home's second album, perhaps even a little more than their 1971 debut Pause for a Hoarse Horse, might have been mistaken for an American country-rock record at a casual listen, though the band were British. In keeping with California trends, too, the country-rock got a little slicker, the harmonies at points slightly resembling those of the Eagles, though that group had yet to really take off when Home was issued. It's a marginally more serious, mellow, and wistful LP than Home's first album, and the more laid-back qualities of early-'70s Neil Young must count as a prominent influence as well, on both the singing and songwriting. Still, it's a marginal album as a whole, if not quite mediocre. The tunes aren't too memorable, and the tracks (like those on many on early-'70s rock releases) sometimes go on too long, with the nine-minute "My Lady of the Birds" incorporating some vaguely progressive rock passages, though it isn't typical of the record. The overall atmosphere is on the low-energy side, even for mellow country-rock. ~ Richie Unterberger