Yorkshire-based indie psychedelia outfit Van Houten formed in 2017 out of Leeds College of Music and describe themselves in their Spotify bio (where they’ve already amassed well over 1,000 monthly listeners) as “slacker pop with a cherry on top”. They dropped their self-titled debut album through Clue Records last year and turned a lot of heads with their single Better Than This, an intoxicating and spacey affair that had something of a Pavement vibe to it.

Now Van Houten are back with a new EP. Titled Home Alone it packs in four tracks that were, for the most part, produced by the five-piece’s lead singer Louis Sadler on his own at home, giving the title of the release some extra meaning as the country sits in lockdown once again. And a superb job he has done too because the first thing to say here is that Home Alone sounds fantastic, seriously fantastic. It really conveys the essence of the band’s sound and feels like an evolution from their previous work.

Opening track Not Me is a case in point as it moves slowly and carefully from a gentle, meandering verse into wailing guitar riffs, and a tense, atmospheric finale. Interwoven with Sadler’s distinctive low key, downbeat vocals and lyrics (“I’m making such a mess / Because I’m stuck inside my head / And I need to get out of here / And my insecurities / chip away and eat at me / Till there’s nothing else left but fear”) it’s a truly captivating piece of songwriting.

You and Me marks something of a change of pace as it begins with a sprightly acoustic intro and builds around a looping guitar riff. The EP’s lead single What I Need features more slick guitar and tender vocal work, while the ethereal Second Thoughts closes the EP with its haunting vocal refrain of “You mean so much to me”.

Writing on their official Facebook page about Home Alone, the band said: “Louis worked so hard on these tunes and we can’t wait for you to hear the finished product. We would also like to say a massive thank you to everyone that has been listening to the two singles and spreading the love, it is so appreciated.” Based on the quality on show here, it was hard work from Louis and his bandmates that was well and truly worth it.

Home Alone EP tracklist:

1. Not Me

2. You and Me

3. What I Need

4. Second Thoughts

Watch the official video for What I Need here.

Author: Joe Sharratt

Joe Sharratt is a writer and journalist based in the UK covering music, literature, sport, and travel.