Carly Cosgrove - ‘The Cleanest of Houses Are Empty’ review
Carly Cosgrove
This Friday, Philadelphia’s Carly Cosgrove—vocalist/guitarist Lucas Naylor, bassist Helen Barsz, and drummer Tyler Kramer—will release their sophomore album, The Cleanest of Houses Are Empty, via Wax Bodega. In this album, the band delves deep into the chronic emotional struggles that accompany modern life. Following Naylor’s 2022 personality disorder diagnosis, the band channelled their realisations and emotions into creating a record that explores themes of habit, familiarity, unfamiliarity, depression, lethargy, and self-reflection. As is often the case, great adversity breeds great art, and The Cleanest of Houses Are Empty is a striking testament to this. It's an album that deserves your attention, offering a nearly perfect blend of emotive punk rock that grabs you by both the ears and the heart.
We're not sure what they've been putting in the water in Philly, but something special is happening. This year alone, we've already seen a stellar release from Sweet Pill, followed by Carly Cosgrove's latest, and with Kaonashi's forthcoming release, it’s clear that the city is breeding exceptional music. Even The Starting Line are hinting at dropping their first new music together since 2016.
For The Cleanest of Houses Are Empty, Carly Cosgrove harnessed the energy of their hometown, recording at the city’s iconic Studio 4. The band worked with producer Justin Bartlett, whom Naylor has known since their time at Temple University, performing in jazz ensembles together. This kinship allowed them to create an album that perfectly distils the kinetic energy of the band’s live sound into recorded form, resulting in an 11-track, 34-minute exploration of everything that makes Carly Cosgrove who they are.
Acoustic-driven opener “Steered Straight” kicks off the album by diving right into Naylor’s existential crisis, exploring the emptiness and panic that come with achieving a goal, acquiring something new, and simply living amidst the panic and indecision of life. Despite being the shortest track on the record, it effectively sets up all the album's themes. Its acoustic nature perfectly tees up the second track, the absolute ripper of a single “You Old Dog.” In fact, the album as a whole has a natural flow; even if the tracks are not continuous, they blend into one another much like a great live band’s set. It's easy to see why the band chose “You Old Dog” as the lead single—it’s a complete jam that perfectly captures the album’s exploration of mental health, with the phrase “old dog” resurfacing later in the album. We have to wonder if the “old dog” in question is not only Naylor but their mental health as well.
The early part of the album sonically channels a similar vein to “You Old Dog” and culminates in the album’s strongest track, “Here’s a Fork.” It’s the kind of track that begs—no, demands—to be sung late into the night alongside other exhausted, sweaty, and emotionally drained bodies in the pit of a punk show. Lines like “I wish I could love the way you test me” are destined to be screamed back at the band at the top of fans' lungs. Musically, the track drives along, building momentum each time and featuring some super gritty, driving bass from Barsz.
Breaking the album up sonically around the halfway point, we find the second single and ode to lethargy, “Fluff My Pillow.” Fittingly, the track serves as a breather with its laid-back sonics and slower rhythms, featuring a distinct groove to Kramer’s drumming. That is, until about halfway through, when everything starts to build and an alarm clock jolts us into the ecstasy of lethargy and sleeping in. Throughout the track, the narrator rationalises their inaction, portraying their isolation and sleep as if they were a drug or a temptation.
The sonic onslaught of emotional punk angst returns full force with the complete rippers “Zoloft” and “Random Dancing.” “Zoloft” is the kind of track that deserves to be played in the car as you drive deep into the night down a country road, with the volume on max, screaming all the angst in your lungs out into the open, unforgiving world. Meanwhile, “Random Dancing” feels right at home after far too many beers deep into a festival night, when you just want to scream and let everything go into a muddy, chaotic mess.
The final trio of tracks finds the ripper “What Are You, Cop” sandwiched between a pair of slower, melancholic beauties, “Stuck In My Straw” and “The Impact Of This Exit.” “Stuck In My Straw” is the kind of track that will swell your emotions and open the floodgates of tears as you pour your soul and emotions into the world. “What Are You, Cop” grabs these same emotions and turns them into rage-filled screams, topping it all off as a complete banger. There's a distinct midwest emo tinge to the closer, “The Impact Of This Exit.” It serves as the emotional climax of the album, a pensive siren call that speaks to all of us who have questioned everything and been through it all. It gives The Cleanest of Houses Are Empty a complete and fitting end, with the kind of track that, back in the day, would have climaxed with the crowd fighting through the pain to keep a lighter ablaze, filling the night with light.
In The Cleanest of Houses Are Empty, Carly Cosgrove weaves a poignant narrative of modern-day emotional turmoil, channelling their own adversities into a sonic journey that resonates deeply. From the explosive energy of "Here’s a Fork" to the cathartic release of "The Impact Of This Exit," each track serves as a testament to the band's ability to encapsulate raw emotion within their music. It's an album that not only reflects the band's personal struggles but also speaks to the universal experiences of existential crisis, lethargy, and self-reflection. Ultimately, The Cleanest of Houses Are Empty leaves us with a sense of catharsis and introspection. It's a reminder that out of darkness can come great art, and Carly Cosgrove has masterfully translated their journey into a record that demands attention and resonates with anyone who has ever grappled with the complexities of modern life.
The Cleanest of Houses Are Empty from Carly Cosgrove is out 14 June via Wax Bodega and available on all good streaming platforms.
