Playing post-punk, shoegaze, dream pop, gothic rock, “Mannequin Deposit” by The House Flies is a perfect mix of eight tracks that sound like they’re from a different world of grunge. Still, this album is a proof of the band’s efficiency to piece out coherent but variegated soundstage.
Starting with “She Hums Mozart”, as mentioned before, the record sets the mood influenced by gothic atmosphere with powerful guitar and accurately selected bass lines. Soft guitar melodies and enigmatic voice bring the atmosphere that captures the audience in the band’s otherworld. Due to its slow tempo, qualitative thoughtful, poetic lyrics and typical melodic structure in Pop this is a good intro for the track.
The second track titled “Twilight Eyes” moves from the playful into somewhat more serious musical and lyrical territory. After this, “Sequin” moves to a different mode that is characterized by exciting guitar riffs, heavily pounding bass lines. The detached yet passionate and powerful singing and the recording’s lyrical content are centered on concepts of transformation and perseverance.
The fourth track named ‘Queen Underground’ is softer and interchanges between post-punk of a gigantic bang and intricate indie verses, owing to sizable guitar and vocals that sings about rebellion. ’Hounds’ adds to the overall theme of the album with crunching guitar and synth riffs, minor chords and lyrics that seem to be almost crying, thus imparting a sense of fear.
“Apple” is another ballad kind of song with a change of pace and tone, light strumming of a guitar and a romantic narrative that speaks about love and loss. It then reverts back to a heavy sound with marvelous guitar work and beats which address issues to do with bone marrow and finding oneself.
The album composition reaches its final note with the ‘Ghosts Will Speak Again,’ a sad, march song that transform into an ethereal song at the end. The House Flies are a masterful combination of whimsical pop and slightly gothic overtones; the members are Alex Riggen vocalist and guitarist, Nick Pompou the drummer, and Ozzie Woods plays bass. “Mannequin Deposit” is one of the memorable musical works that refer to the spheres of both atmospheric harmony and energetic dynamics, and each of them is in its right place.
