Sparrow House...

I forgot what cold is like. Despite having grown up on the east coast (and north of the Mason Dixon line at that) I've been thoroughly Californicated. Currently in No Cal we're experiencing a cold snap. We're talking mornings in the 20's or 30's days in the upper 40's. Now if you're reading this in Canada or Germany or Maine you're thinking to yourself "pussy". But it's been years since I've felt a chill like this. Tomorrow morning I'll get on my bike to ride to work and it's going to be like 6 degrees. I'm mentally unprepared.

So I've been warming the cockles (what the hell are those) of my heart with the delicious melodies of Sparrow House. Sparrow House is the work of Jared Van Fleet whose full time gig is playing in the also excellent Voxtrot. While Voxtrot is pretty rocking semi-new wave, full of upbeat songs and a jangle worthy of Johnny Marr, Sparrow House is an introspective affair closer to Iron & Wine's The Creek Drank The Cradle. Hell I'll even give you the classic folk of Simon & Garfunkel and mean it. Sparrow House is pimping an EP called Falls right now, six songs of mellow carefully plucked songs that are fleshed out with light percussion and the doubling of the vocal track. Van Fleet is working alone here so there's a certain lo-fi bedroom quality to the recording that only adds to the charm of the EP. It's excellent cold weather music, makes you want to hole up with a warm cocktail, a turtleneck, and your best sweety. You know, stay under the covers and make some love because sex anywhere else in the house is unfathomable since it's like 12 even with the furnace burning half the natural gas in Prudhoe Bay.

Order the EP on the website. Listen to additional songs over here. For a side project you're going to find the quality of these songs to be excellent. Try "Foxes (sighing like a furnace)".

from Falls:

When I Am Gone