After 2010’s ‘Dirt’, KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES have a lot to live up to. In the 18 months since the release of their breakthrough sophomore effort, the band have become exponentially popular and, inevitably, where they headed next was going to be a point for contention;
‘In Gold Blood’ sees the band shake a little of ‘Dirt”s sparkle and polish, bringing in grittier riffs, ditching a few of the more sugary radio-friendly vocals and reaching into far more of their Brit-Rock influences, and throwing in a few risky moves (considering the band’s supposed audience) for good measure.
Kicking off with recent free download single ‘Gold Blood’, the band go big and ballsy from the off, and it’s not until second track ‘Teenage Wonderland’ kicks in that what the band are really going for becomes apparent; they got the kids paying attention with sparkly guitars and tweaked choruses, and it’s time to be taken seriously across the board.
All the charm and attention to detail has been met with toned up sincerity and a stronger desire to express themselves as band, with both instrumentation and vocal throughout reflecting a marked growth. From the horn refrain of ‘The Florist’, giant guitar parts of ‘Animals’, and Toto nodding verse rhythms and accompanying sax solo of ‘Fire’, the band’s approach has warped, and it’s almost all for the better.
‘In Gold Blood’ is certainly not as immediate as the two that came before, and the patience required to really connect with it may well turn a few away: but for each lost to a short-attention-span there will be two gained, and the classic rock influences will certainly shake off any badly feelings leftover with the rock “purists” from the inclusion of “Frankie from The Saturdays” on that single from the last album.
The next big question for the band will be on how to progress next, but fortunately that’s a question they won’t have to answer for a while and they can rest easy knowing ‘In Gold Blood’ is everything they wanted to be, even if it rubs a few up the wrong way.