Chicago’s This House is Creaking unleash “Something Else,” sending white-hot sparks through their scuzzy noise pop with a track that ricochets from nebulous and bubbling to a splittingly intense cathartic explosion. Sharp, angular guitar wraps around introspective lyrics that accept mediocrity in the face of failure, wrestling with broken things you can’t quite understand how to fix, all recorded with friends Peter Schultze and Hunter Borowick from Tuff Sudz. The band’s inventive playfulness keeps ears guessing while contrasting confessional words with sonic unpredictability, proving their approach refuses formula at every turn. Their second album ‘I Want To Feel At Home Here’ dropped this past summer, showcasing their range from the hooky, scrawling “Talk To Me” to the tender, earth-laden “Elden Ring,” each track illustrating their bent towards noise and careful ear for melody that never reveals their next sonic steps.
This House is Creaking opens for DIIV at Lincoln Hall on January 17 as part of Tomorrow Never Knows Festival’s 20th anniversary edition, then performs at Ground Control Touring Presents 4th Annual Abortion Access Benefit Series on January 24 at the Empty Bottle alongside Tobacco City, Good Flying Birds, Action/Adventure, and Mass Text. The band has earned support slots with Water From Your Eyes, Hotline TNT, and a Midwest tour with Delaney Bailey this fall, cementing their status as a scene favorite within Chicago’s thriving creative community. Drawing on Miller’s electronic music roots and Nauman’s guitar skills from bands like Godly the Ruler and M.A.G.S., their mixture of sounds reflects the expansive cross-pollination happening in Chicago right now, and this single captures exactly why their highly distinct sound keeps turning heads and demanding repeat listens.