Tree House – ‘Nonsense’ – One of the capital’s hidden gems

Despite gigging hard on the London toilet circuit last year, Tree House remain one of the capital’s hidden gems. But judging by the crisp songwriting and delicately danceable songs that comprised 2017’s Into The Ocean EP, those toilet circuit days are numbered. Tree House emerged last year as another find from the ever brilliant Memorials Of Distinction label who continue to excel in discovering truly remarkable music made in bedrooms across the world. Fronted by chief songwriter and vocalist Will Fortna, who was forced to create music so hushed and introspective due to his bedroom’s thin walls, the band are the most likely of the label’s roster to cross over from a curiosity into a fully rounded pop prospect.

Nonsense, the low-key opener from Into The Ocean, recalls the late, great Arthur Russel dabbling in the Ethiopian jazz of Mulatu Astatke. It’s breezy and esoteric and something akin to an aural daydream which has now been visually realised in an accompanying video by Ella Margolin.

Comprised of surrealist imagery of clouds, highways and palm trees interspersed with brief glimpses of the band, the images serve only to draw you in further into Fortna and co’s hypnogogic world. Tree House have managed to create a strange paradox within their music- you don’t know whether to dance or lay back and stare at the clouds. As such, this is dance music for somnambulists.