House of 909 - The Children We Were

House of 909
The Children We Were
2015

The Children We Were is the first official album from the British House Music group House of 909. With a name like that how could I resist reviewing this record? The music of The Children We Were is as straight up house as you can possibly get, constant beat, evocative tone in a word straightforward. The album does miss a bit on the whole dance part since this really is a style that has since moved on into different genres (EDM, Jungle, ect.). The music is dreamy fade into existence type of sound less focused on dropping beats or slamming 808s and more concerned with creating a light airy vibe to swing your arms to. That being said the production values are excellent on this record and the consistency throughout make it an easy album to put on and just let it go. While they may hang a bit to close to a style of old it never feels dated or out of place in 2015. It is more like an homage than anything else.

The first track featuring vocals "So Much Love" is where all the good I've mentioned does tend to breakdown. This track in particular feels super dated and holds almost a disco vibe. It brings the evocative nature that the album tends to have to the forefront. The Children We Were in the end is perfectly fine for what it is but really doesn't bring anything of merit to the conversation. It is a music that time has passed by probably when these guys were children.

4.5 out of 10