House On a Hill - Lady Slipper

Albums like House on a Hill's Ladyslipper are frustrating. The music is lovely and moody; there's obvious talent in the band, but there's just something missing. It may be a good album, but it's the sort of album that not only could be better; it should be. The instrumental "Arcadia" opens the album and while the meandering tune is pretty enough, it's about three minutes too long. This is the ultimate problem with much of Ladyslipper -- the good moments get dragged out until they no longer exist. Songs become wandering meditations rather than cohesive units. Guitarist Sara Kermanshahi and bassist Cedar Apffel trade vocal duties on most of the rest of the songs on Ladyslipper. Both of their voices are slightly melancholy, matching well with the emo-inspired sound. Neither is particularly distinctive, however, and they are often overpowered by the music. Only snippets of the band's typical indie-rock lyrics can be understood, as if what is being sung doesn't matter too much. And honestly, it doesn't -- House on a Hill's strength, if there is one, is in its skill as musicians. The rest of the elements still seem to be under development. "First/Last" is the best song off of Ladyslipper. Slightly brighter in sound that most of the rest of the album, it's the clearest example of what House on a Hill can do, given the chance. It's a tight song, allowing all the band members to shine, including House on the Hill's backbone, drummer Carlos Moncada. Sadly, whatever momentum the album gains by this song is immediately killed by the excessive "China Walls." Ladyslipper never quite finds the energy to carry it all the way to the end. The music may be pleasant and played well, but there's no drive to anything better. It's appealing enough in limited doses, but in the end, it's almost completely forgettable. Once House on the Hill learns to add a few hooks into its music, maybe the band will be worth talking about, but Ladyslipper is little more than background music. [www.houseonahillband.com]