Colony House, this four man rock band, has released their sophomore album and already debuted number three on iTunes, and their rock and roll sounds are going to take over the charts and rock world.
The band includes the brothers, Caleb Chapman (vocals) and Will Chapman (drums), as well as guitarist, Scott Mills, and bassist, Parker Cottrell, which has joined the band in 2014, after the release of the first album. Initially, the indie rock band started as a three man band in 2009 in Tennessee, where the Chapman brothers and Mills attended high school, and the band has been gaining popularity since then.
They released three EPs before really going on the radar with their first album, When I Was Younger, which came out in 2014.
Three years later, and the band has managed to get even better: with a more cohesive sound, and Cottrell’s bass and keyboard to really tighten up the sound, Only The Lonely proves that the Colony House is not a one hit album. Half of the album was recorded live, which gives it that extra element that makes the band stick out.
“You And I” was firstly released as a single, but the album includes a new version of it that starts with the band talking at the beginning. It seems quite clear why the band decided to release this as a single, as the tune is quite catchy and the chorus is very easy to remember and sing along to. The song was recorded in one take, and it draws the listener’s attention like a mermaid, taking your body over and making you dance along without even realising it.
Caleb Chapman sings “Maybe the world isn’t crazy, maybe it’s you and I”, as the song talks about figuring life out with another person. The song has the perfect ending, as the fast drums give it that sense of urgency to understand and the four guys sing along perfectly in sync.
“You Know It” is yet another classic rock song that can be found in the album, showing the band’s influence to old school songs by legendary bands such as The Rolling Stones.
This song has a vert 60s rock vibe, with Parker Cottrell’s keyboards really being the highlight by the end of the song, while the beginning is taken over by the amazing drum skills of Will Chapman. The tune can be easily found on everyone’s dance playlist as the go-to song for anyone who wants to dance and let go.
“This Beautiful Life” is the last song of the album, and the more calm one. Caleb Chapman’s vocals really hit the right spot, with the melancholic sound ending the highly energetic album perfectly, making Only The Lonely a whole journey. “This Beautiful Life” sounds quite differently from the rest of the album, standing up with the background choruses and the focus on the acoustic guitar really gives the listener chills.
Caleb’s vocals were all recorded in one take, giving the song that rough edge that gives perfection and shows that the boys know how to make you think, not only dance around and sing along. This song is the perfect example of the band’s talent and their ability to move across genres easily, giving them that extra flavour that is missing nowadays in popular charts.
Overall, Only The Lonely really hits at home with catchy tunes, deep lyrics and the ability to include different sides of the indie rock world in order to give every single listener one song that really resonates.
Some of the songs like “Was It Me” really show their classic rock influences, as the song was highly influenced by The Vaccines. The band’s sound has been highly influenced by The Killers and U2, which makes their sound a nostalgic trip to when music was not about perfection but about energy and making people dance.
“This Beautiful Life” is the one that really showcases the band’s talent, while the hits “You And I” and “You Know It” show the charisma of the band and their ability to make the audience dance and sing along, which will be perfect for their upcoming tour with the band, where their talent will really shine.
It is with the live versions of the song that Caleb Chapman’s vocals really stand out, and the energy and the chemistry between the four boys will take over the hearts of many fans.
It will be wonderful to see these four boys on tour in America starting in February, and hopefully their rise will also bring them to Europe, where fans will patiently wait for Colony House’s take over. Colony House’s Only The Lonely can be bought from iTunes here.
Words by Martina Di Gregorio
