House of House - "Rushing to Paradise (Walkin' These Streets)"
House of House is a duo comprised of beatsmith Olivier Spencer of DFA undergrads Still Going, whose 12" single "Still Going Theme" enjoyed some post-disco revival buzz last year, and vocalist Saheer Umar who according to some cursory Googling has never appeared on an official release in his life. Their debut single "Rushing to Paradise (Walkin' These Streets)" is truly stunning, a slow-burning house epic that gets pushed over the top by Umar's scene-stealing diva vocals.
The song starts out as minimal techno (think The Field), with lush, soft keys and pad percussion that sounds like a pat on the back, but about a minute in jazzy piano runs are introduced, more contemplative than boisterous. Spencer slowly builds up from there with hand percussion and clipped vocal samples, creating an atmosphere that's dark and bluesy yet chilled-out and relaxed. But what would be a great mood piece gets turned upside down around the seven minute mark when Umar's vocals come in. At first they are released slowly and lowly, almost like ghosts— "I've been walking these streets so long/ cause I need, cause I need..."— before they're interrupted by another Spencer piano line, but where his pianos were moody in the song's first half they're now more energized and rhythmic. Then Umar is unleashed: "Walking these streets so long/ cause I need somebody else/ Been treating my love so wrong/ cause I need somebody else/ The pleasure and pain you bring, got me down on my knees/ I'm begging you please." His voice is deep and intensely soulful, almost reminiscent of James Brown. Umar, by the way, looks like he's about 25.
Calling "Rushing to Paradise" a masterpiece isn't an understatement, and if any song deserves Hercules and Love Affair's rock critic afterglow, it's this one.
Listen at Needledrop
