Henry James House Premieres His New Single “Lagan Dream”

Every artist borrows from different time periods for musical inspiration, but with Henry James House, he casts a broad net. Today, he unveils “Lagan Dream,” an interesting and musically diverse track. As a follow-up to his previous single, “The Devil Was a Preacher,” House is really demonstrating his musical range. That single was an eclectic, swaggery, blues-infused song, very different in sound and style from “Lagan Dream.” For House, it’s not just about one sound or style. As a songwriter, he relies a lot on his own musical instincts, which prevents him from stylistically boxing himself in. It’s some nice work from an artist who demonstrates a lot of musical confidence.

Discussing the song, House tells us:

“You’re not supposed to admit to having a favourite child, and all the songs on this album feel like my children in some way, but ‘Lagan Dream’ is my favourite. I feel that it proves a conjecture I have long held, that there is great fertility in marrying trip-hop and psychedelic types of production with very old folk melodies and traditional airs.

“‘Lagan Dream’ is based heavily on the old Irish song ‘My Lagan Love,’ which has been recorded hundreds of times, and has in some form been sung for hundreds of years, since long before audio recording. Sinead O’Connor has a great version of that song, where I think she was working from the same premise I’ve just espoused, though her version doesn’t take the transformation as far as ‘Lagan Dream’ does.

“This song first started to take shape during the COVID lockdown. During that time, a friend from Philadelphia, Kelsey Corcoran (of Low Cut Connie and Kelsey Cork & The Swigs), visited me here in Cincinnati. We recorded a couple of demos, one of ‘I Only Have Eyes For You’ and another that would eventually become ‘Lagan Dream.’ She was the one who initially brought the idea of using saxophone on the track, which turned out to be a great addition to the recording. But in any arrangement, full band or stripped down, whenever I perform this live, I love the feeling of power it has, like casting an enchantment.”

Based in Cincinnati, House previously recorded and toured under the name Pop Empire. He decided to put that on the back burner and begin recording music under his own name. That comes to the forefront now with the coming release of his new album, Last Lights Off the Black West. Featuring ten tracks, the record is a reflection on the dissolution of the natural world and the classic American dream that continues to fade away. It’s an interesting album in how it bridges together different eras of music. They are a combination of new, old, and reimagined tracks. Three of them are covers: “Mother Earth” by Memphis Slim, The Jesus and Mary Chain’s “The Living End,” and “Rock Me,” written by Rev. Thomas Dorsey and originally recorded by Sister Rosetta Tharpe.

House conceptualizes the album as post-Americana, with its foundation strongly rooted in history, but not just a rehashing of songs from times gone by. As an artist, he has a grand appreciation for many time periods of music and artistry. There is no need to be a historian of classic blues, folk, and Americana to enjoy this album. It’s accessible, balanced, and thoughtful. In an era of social turmoil and unease, House has composed an album that conscientiously bridges times, eras, and influences.

Henry James House ‘Last Lights Off the Black West’ album artwork