Album review: The House on Cliff

Rock and roll band with Wellesley roots, The House on Cliff,  recently released a classic-rock, radio-ready, 5-song album entitled Skin and Bones.

The four bandmates, which include Wellesley High School graduate and band vocalist Charles Coleman, have toured the United States and the United Kingdom, and released Skin and Bones following their departure from Boston’s Berklee College of Music. I listened to their work and was impressed by this latest collaboration of the Wellesley native and his bandmates.

The band describes itself as a high-energy rock band, and after listing to the songs, I cannot disagree. The music is upbeat and catchy, but also includes slower sections where the instruments fade into the background, highlighting the vocalists. When combined, the instruments complement the vocals, and all aspects of the sound are just as strong when played individually.  “Wrong,” their hardest-rocking tune, features a particularly impressive guitar solo, and the drums are consistent and complementary throughout the EP.

The sophistication of the lyrics in every song is impressive. I particularly enjoyed the chorus of “Pocket Change”: 

“I don’t mind if I never get to see my name in flashing lights/
I’ll storm the town and scream my words into the night/
Just to have a little bit of piece of mind.”

Here, the band reveals to the listener its passion for spreading the message of classic rock, whether that message makes them famous or not. I found this to be particularly fitting for a band whose mission is to restore the popularity of rock music.

The album content is original and the variety of sound throughout makes it appealing to listen to. This is great music to turn on in the car or when you’re looking to take a break from work. The band’s name is a nod to that well-known street in town, Cliff Rd., where the boys in the band, in true classic-rock fashion, can sometimes be heard practicing in a garage there. I wouldn’t be surprised to also hear The House on Cliff’s songs playing on a rock station on the radio in the future.