LISTEN: Houndmouth’s Vegas Dreams

The Indiana band’s new album, Good For You, comes out on November 5th

August 5, 2021August 5, 2021 Ron Hart 0 Comments B.J. Barham, Brad Cook, Good For You, Hiss Golden Messenger, Houndmouth, Indiana, Jon Ashley, Las Vegas, Prairie Rock, The War On Drugs, Waxahatchee

The phrase “good for you” is a bit of a double edged sword in this age of rampant cynicism.

For some, it’s a genuine gesture of accomplishment from one person to another. But for others, it’s a disingenuous, tossed off response spoken through one’s teeth without any real sentiment behind the words.

Why Houndmouth would name their forthcoming album Good For You–the Indiana band’s debut on the Dualtone label–is indeed one to ponder. But if it’s nearly as groovin’ as its first single “Las Vegas” suggests, it doesn’t even matter to be quite honest. Yet it is that blurred line between snark and sincerity that keeps this trio—comprised of guitarist/vocalist Matthew Myers, drummer/vocalist Shane Cody and bassist/vocalist Zak Appleby—into one of the most exciting acts of the modern Prairie Rock.

Recorded with Brad Cook (Waxahatchee, Hiss Golden Messenger) and mixed by Jon Ashley (The War On Drugs, B.J. Barham), this is the fourth full-length album from the platinum-selling band. It was created in Houndmouth’s longtime headquarters — The Green House, a 19th-century shotgun-style residence decked out in gold wallpaper and crystal chandeliers that used to belong to Cody’s grandparents. And its also a far cry from the band’s early folk beginnings, which means they are following a trajectory not unlike T.Rex, no doubt one of Houndmouth’s subconscious influences.

Built off of an older demo, the band nearly withheld the track due to its outlier status — but ultimately found its rowdy energy to be the final, frenetic wave goodbye to a year lost to isolation: “I believe in Las Vegas/The city of plastic/So real it’s dangerous/So real it could save us.”

“This album felt like being back in time again, only now everything is a little more dialed-back and cared-for,” says Cody. “It was like a return to the way we fell in love with playing music together.”