Fun House

ロサンゼルスを拠点に活動するミュージシャン、Meg DuffyのプロジェクトHand Habitsの2021年作。
陽気で瑞々しい実験的なアンビエント/フォーク/インディーポップ。

Between Meg Duffys living-room-project debut as Hand Habits (Wildly Idle) and the full-band follow-up (Placeholder), Hand Habits sound noticeably expanded while remaining textured, intimate, and rooted in folk sensibilities. A similar modification takes place with their third album, Fun House. It adds more-prominent synths, strings, and danceable rhythms -- and in the process volume -- to the mix without shedding the projects distinctively dreamy, reflective quality. At the same time that Duffys ruminative lyrics edge toward acceptance, Fun House was so named partly for its tendency toward taking chances -- playing with surfaces -- in the studio. To that point, it was produced by dream pop/noise pop musician Sasami Ashworth (SASAMI, Cherry Glazerr) and mixed by Chris Coady (Beach House, Grizzly Bear) and Kyle Thomas (aka King Tuff), the latter of whom engineered the album. These sonic developments are perhaps most evident on the first two tracks, More Than Love and lead single Aquamarine. The formers driving synth pop is kept in check by its wistful melody and chord progressions, soft synth timbres, and a rhythm section that incorporates non-invasive woodblock. The funkier Aquamarine likewise never overpowers Duffys gentle examination of their past. Perfume Genius Mike Hadreas lends vocals to songs including the more folk-rock-leaning Just to Hear You, and No Difference, whose sunshine-pop harmonies are cushioned in acoustic guitars and brushed snare. Other stylistic diversions include the Southern rock-shaded Concrete & Feathers and the mumbled orchestral psych-folk of The Answer. Fun House closes on Graves, a melancholy ballad Duffy has described as a conversation with grief and remembrance. Even it -- essentially a solo acoustic guitar song -- draws texture from additional vocals and piano. Largely due to Duffys restrained, inward-facing vocals, Fun House is at its best on songs with soft-spoken, atmospheric designs, but the experiments here are far from missteps. ~ Marcy Donelson