“Home, Home” is one of two singles released in mid-2021 by His His, the other being “Sweet Company.” The artist’s first LP Garden Songs, which included both tracks, released shortly after. His His, a project led by Canadian indie musician, Aidan Belo, saw its debut in 2020.
“Home, Home” is a bit of an anomaly. This track may seem a little barebones at first but upon closer analysis it becomes apparent it is a somewhat layered though not terribly complex song. Indeed, compared to the other tracks on Garden Songs, it is the most stripped back. This song is not jam packed, it is short and sweet, yet somehow it manages not to feel thin.
It’s impressive how Belo was able to create such a great sound with very few elements. Copious amounts of reverb on the guitar parts help, but the gradual introduction of the different instruments goes a long way. It creates the illusion that there is a lot happening but really there aren’t more than three components active at the same time. This strategy is not new, but Belo is clever to make use of it.
The opening is excellent and the first lyric “why did you park that car in my head?” is a great hook. All the lyrics are great albeit there aren’t very many of them. The structure is irregular, it’s not your cliché pop arrangement. The two verses are counteracted by the bridge also serving as the outro. The song is quite short, but it doesn’t feel like it is lacking in vocals. Electric guitar playing the melody fills all the holes left by gaps in lyrics, creating a smooth transition.
Belo’s vocals suit the song very well but I can’t help but get the feeling that he is capable of much more. His debut single “Matador” (2020) gives hints that his vocal range is much broader than most of his work would have you think. This doesn’t detract from my enjoyment of “Home, Home” but I would like to see Belo explore his vocal capabilities a bit more in the future.
Considering His His is still in its youth, it is surprising that Belo has already situated himself in a particular approach. The His His discography is very small, but I would have expected to see some more experimentation, nonetheless. I do appreciate all of their songs, but they do feel like they were all cut from the same cloth.
“Home, Home” is very good. It doesn’t do anything groundbreaking, but I don’t think Belo had any intention of making something outrageous. Certainly, he didn’t try to reinvent the wheel. In trying to create a peaceful and easy listen, Belo succeeded.
As I’ve mentioned there are some things I would like to see further explored in the His His formula, Belo’s vocals in particular. “Home, Home” works very well as a lead single as it gives a great summary of what you get from Garden Songs. A great freshman effort.
