Still mining Southern gothic for inspiration and making modern roots music,
House of Freaks were a bit early for the No Depression movement; "Rocking Chair" would sound just dandy beside anything by
Wilco or
Son Volt. Yet, on this record, the group tried to push the envelope of what their brand of folk and roots music was about and ended up sounding a little generic, perhaps due to producer Dennis Herring's Timbuk 3 touch. Nonetheless, the charming,
Jules Shear-like "Honor Among Lovers" and the
Waitsian drinking song "Remember Me Well" stand out. ~ Denise Sullivan