In their short career to date – ‘Runaway Devil’ is only their second release, after their eponymous debut EP last year – the London four-piece House Above The Sun have been compared to everyone from Wilco and The War On Drugs. to The Kinks and Stone Roses. It’s perhaps not surprising since their roots are diverse – singer/guitarist Ariel Moreton grew up in Arizona, then Costa Rica and Malta, while the band’s frontman Jim Moreton grew up steeped in ’60s culture in Cheltenham, which he shares as a hometown with his hero Brian Jones.
Ahead of the release of their first long player Five Hours North in late October, ‘Runaway Devil’ is a great showcase for their mixture of rootsy Americana and classic rock, beginning with deft picking and settling into a bumping, grinding blues groove that Jim’s hero Brian would have been proud of. Think Neil Young jamming with the White Stripes with a dash of Dylan‘s acerbic wit, maybe.
Lyrically, though, it’s your traditional folk/country morality tale, calling out the arrogance and selfishness of those who try to maintain their grasp on power, oblivious to the fact that they are sowing the seeds of their destruction. You have been warned!
‘Runaway Devil’ is released through HATS Music 1st September.
House Above The Sun play London Camden Fiddler’s Elbow 11th October with Micko Westmoreland and the Mellotronics.
Photo: Anne Lamond
