HomeBread Live in Room 2
Review
One aspect of concentrating my writing on artists & music about which I'm enthusiastic is that I have to edit my pieces down in length (working on that still).
Another is managing my impatience & frustration when I am waiting to share news of new releases.
The latter is naturally worse when the artist in question hasn't yet recorded anything to tell you about.
That is of course my problem not yours and once I'm past my own psychological inadequacies, then my rational mind tells me that the decision by HomeBread not to issue anything until they are totally happy that they've got something which matches their own aspirations is really admirable.
You can't enjoy the esteem in which this band bathe currently without such fierce commitment to quality. And let's just remember that this is currently wholly based on live appearances as little else exists beyond the concrete experiences of the few hundred people lucky enough so far to have had this experience and thence vicariously the many others they would have told: hence the high level of buzz. I feel it's worth repeating the words of Trust Club at the "Hot Music Live Presents" fundraiser for The Tin last month that HomeBread were their favourite band.
Today, the picture changes a bit: not precisely with a single but one of those curious releases which don't fit into the traditional framework of single/EP/album. The sort I'm gradually coming to realise that I ought to be covering.
I'm talking about Episode 13 of "Live in Room 2". You can see this via this link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kdlg7Cwii08
Like RawSound TV, Room 2 (and I'm pleased to have a chance to plug them) offer local unsigned artists (and I'm delighted that both are focusing in on Coventry and Warwickshire based ones) the chance to record live performances which can then get global streaming on a major platform. In HomeBread's case therefore, it's now a potentially most useful calling card for this thing they do.
This is, in their own words, a case of "angsty little weirdos making emo-adjacent mess".
The relation of format of Room 2 to its name is not deceptive: the artists play in what looks like a residential space. It might well be the bedroom of the sort of person who likes the music played. But it's limited. Can the magnificence of HomeBread translate to this? Will the intensity come across in the way they desire? Clearly jumping about as happens in the gigs isn't an option. Frankly I was surprised to see the drum kit had fitted in. I wouldn't have fancied mixing the sound (credit to Harry Houlton for this & while we are on the subject, the session was filmed by Josh Karian and edited by George Dillon).
Well if you can't hurl yourself about in a frenzy of self expression, you can headbang to release your feelings instead & so they do.
Equally, although there are frequent moments of fury & passion in their songs, they are all masterpieces of dynamics & structure with your emotions tending to be dragged up hill & down again throughout each one. The quiet, broodingly intense passages may even benefit from the intimacy of setting and as for the more unhinged sections, they certainly seemed to have found a way to replicate those too. I'm actually glad too that they chose the magnificent "Smoke Rings" for the set: it caught my attention live & I ought to have cited it by name last time.
It works: you can see & hear now what all the fuss is about thank goodness though believe me you need to see them on a stage to get the full HomeBread experience.
This is an option for you on 26th September at the Priory Visitor Centre when they'll be joining HMLP featured band What About Eric? plus Pay The Stranger and Dog Saints.
Before that, they are at the Hare & Hounds in Birmingham on August 27th with Weird on Purpose, Fern & Pear Drop.
