Colony House is a band I’ve been a huge fan of since their first album “When I Was Younger” (one of my favorite shirts is from their 10-year anniversary tour of that album that says “I have loved Colony House since When I Was Younger”). That is still probably my favorite Colony House album, but it’s hard to beat that alt-rock masterpiece. This album is a great return-to-form to that alt-rock sound with Caleb Chapman’s wonderfully introspective lyricism and his brother Will’s sparse but incredibly tasteful drum parts.
“Atomic” was easily my most-played song this year, and it’s my favorite of the album. It is unbelievably catchy and I found it stuck in my head so often throughout the year. In it, Caleb admits in his wonderfully honest way that he’s not been living his life like the miracle that it is: “It makes me wonder if I’m a good man if it takes something atomic to blow my heart to bits so I can feel again. It makes me wonder if I’ve got time to come alive.” With my two kids who are growing as fast as they are, I relate to this one so much. It’s easy to get in the flow and mundanity of everything and forget the absolute miracle they are, and the example they set of the wonder they experience every day.
“What’s It Gonna Take” is another great one, grieving the state of American politics: “Another gun in the hallway / Another school on the TV / Another war on religion / Put your money where your mouth is, for everybody’s sake / Before we blow the whole world up, what’s it gonna take?” Caleb describes a near-death experience and references a vision he had after the death of his younger sister in the wonderful outro to “Telephone Pole:” “Days turn to years and weave a tapestry / Stretched to the heavens and as far as I can see / All the shapes and colors blurred and undefined / Until I step away and watch them come to life.” Ugh, it’s so good.
The rest of these tracks are amazing too: “OK OK OK OK” and “Ready to Go” recall the fun, lighthearted tracks from their “Only the Lonely” era, while the final two tracks “Highwire” and “77” are more what I come to Colony House for, but it’s all good.
The Neimans 
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