Electronic-tinged indie pop--why hasn't anyone thought of this before?
Actually, someone has. Incorporating aspects of dance and funk into the framework of indie rock, Pete Astor (a.k.a. the Wisdom of Harry) creates an album in House of Binary that feels both familiar and exhausted throughout.
"Coney Island of Your Mind" comes off as the shoe-gazers' equivalent to Jesus Jones--lazy pop melodies and a subtle hint of English accent floating on an albeit stripped-down dance beat. Following along similar lines is the tunes successor, "Caesar Boots"--this time, however, the Wisdom of Harry feels more inclined to mine the vein occupied by Depeche Mode's more poppy offerings.
"Unit One" is a funk track peppered with synthetic beats and loops-a-plenty--you've heard this one, too (on the dance floor of whichever club happens to be your favorite).
Not to give the impression that House of Binary is merely a collection of referential tunes--it's not. What it is, however, is a rather dull disc.
Following the album's fourth track, House of Binary simply fails to impress. The final two-thirds of the Wisdom of Harry's latest is nothing short of forgettable--the upshot of which is that the only tunes worth noting are those that strike a chord with the listener as a result of their similarity to previously recorded material.
The record's later moments feel as if they were written and recorded while heavily sedated--both in terms of energy and intellectual input present.
This leads to House of Binary being anything but compelling--a trait that will damn it to a long life of record-shop residence.
--Brian Gettler