Australian Rock band, Hands Like Houses two weeks ago unveiled the song “Space” on the popular radio show, Triple J. Having four albums underneath their belt they just came back with a new headbanger of a single since the release of their raspy energetic song, “Headrush”. 

The song shines a light on a deeper and darker time in the band’s life – focusing on a relationship that slowly becomes toxic. This turns the chorus of the song into an explosive demand for needing a bit of time away from the situation at hand. Frontman Trenton Woodley, carries the emotion beautifully throughout the song, seamlessly switching his tone from somber to assertive without losing any intensity whatsoever. The intellectually crafted lyrics take the listener on a whirlwind ride – constantly wrestling with needing space but how do you step away from something you still want so desperately. “Space” becomes an all too familiar scenario for many fans who have gone through a similar time in their lives –  if a relationship is toxic, your initial reaction is to leave, yet when that moment of being alone becomes too real we suddenly feel this intense need to stay. “I said I needed some space, ‘Cause I’ve got no time, got no patience, Living in fear and frustration, ‘Cause I’m still on your side, Yeah, I’m still on your side.” The instrumental has addicting guitar riffs mixed with heavy grunge elements in the chorus. The studio drums sound the closest to a traditional rock track – keeping the song grounded. The keys in the track are the most subtle getting close to muffled out in the mixing yet they give the song this sense of urgency and hope. 

Woodley broke down the lyrics noting, “I think the song really captures that pressure we felt having to refine our raw ideas and work through our differences in taste and personality while recording. It’s strange that that sense of emotional claustrophobia has fast-forwarded to this literal one with COVID-19,”. He continues, “Since we tracked it, I haven’t actually read the lyrics written down until now and there’s a strange sense of deja vu, like I wrote them yesterday, with full knowledge of everything that’s happened in the last few months. I wanted it to feel tired, not hopeless, worn out but not ready to give up just yet. I didn’t want it to sound like I’d stopped trying. I wanted it to feel like coming out of a long silence, to say ‘please be patient. I can get this right. I just need a little faith, a little trust, and a little bit of space to get myself back together.”

The music video [directed by Rhys Graham produced by Jensen Cope] highlights a girl who’s in a transitional point in her life – Rhys explains the overall narrative for the video, “Our character stops off at a couple of isolated motels which lead us into the world of the band… it all very much reflects the idea of the isolation that we’ve all just experienced. We also used a deaf actor to reflect the ways that separation or a different way of communicating is not necessarily a lack of freedom, it’s just a different way of doing things that we are used to. That very much ties in with the emotional space in the song.”

Lose yourself in the rhythmic themes that is “Space” – allow this track to resonate with a situation you’ve gone through, let this be a moment of reflection and healing or just a confirmation that you’ve made the right choices. And most importantly, never be afraid to demand Space.

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