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12th House Rock

by Narrow Head

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  • Record/Vinyl + Digital Album

    Limited to 1000 copies, encased in gatefold jacket. Released by Run For Cover Records.

    Includes unlimited streaming of 12th House Rock via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    ships out within 3 days
    Purchasable with gift card

      $32 USD or more 

     

  • Streaming + Download

    Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    Purchasable with gift card

      $8 USD  or more

     

1.
Yer' Song 05:36
We’re in motion They’ve caught on Follow me now They’ll come for us all Make a face they will never see You’ll see the light on the way down It’s better now How long till you let this go? It seems wrong to waste How slow do we have to go? We should know by now They’ll come for us all It's better to not ever forget how I lost On the way down It’s better now
2.
I’ve seen you go  Pass me by, another Scent in the air brings you to my mind Light flutters Since there’s no going back I’ll wonder It’s not enough, say goodbye Don’t wander Stare at you I’m thinking back Another wasted day I’ll float around Don’t bother Evenings flow in my head Did I forget everything?
3.
Looking down  Falling around Lose your soul You’re doing fine You’ve got it right It’s hard to know When I’m talking fast You’re moving slow Don’t think too hard There’s no where to go Looking down Falling around Breathe in slow Spinning out You’ve got it now
4.
12th House 01:28
5.
It’s decided we’ll never know It’s not important to them Waking up now is such a bore Crush it up and you’ll see Cut it out It’s hard to swallow Talking to you is such a bore Wake me up when you leave There’s a pill for me by the door Crush it up and you’ll see it’s hard to swallow Take one down and fall to the floor Trust no one Stay if you want to
6.
Crankcase 01:59
Throwing up now Clean your nose Laying around while I decompose Feeling nothing and it feels so good I’m fading out now I’ll see you around I’m crying out with no voice You have no choice but to die now Break it open just to spit it out It makes my mouth numb I won’t make a sound Leaning over just to fall back down I close my eyes now You’re fading out
7.
Nodding Off 05:45
How can you see When you are blind with those eyes? Lie yourself down Enjoy yourself Just for a while I’m sure we’re alone That’s good to know I’ll try to be better But I know I’ll never Cry me to sleep I am nothing at night Drag yourself down Tie it on, then nodding off we go
8.
Night Tryst 03:23
Count your breaths While my lips touch your spine No one has to know Now it’s time for you to go Let’s calm down and look for your clothes Tell your friends you wanna go We’ll be sly No one has to know Now it’s time for you to go Let’s calm down and look for your clothes I just want to be alone Tell me when you’ve made it home
9.
Emmadazey 03:32
It’s all in a line It’s blue dust this time My nose is running dry It’s fine, it keeps me high It’s like youre already dead You’re a trainwreck to them Looking desperate for friends I’m too numb to care It’s orange this time Put my face to the line My nose is running dry It’s fine, I’m still alive
10.
Wastrel 02:07
Home on my own I feel myself sinking so low Here all alone There’s no place for a wastrel But this time you’re on my mind And I feel fine, but only for a while Then I go down the hole The only home for a wastrel
11.
Delano Door 06:21
Through the door, open wide Haunting thoughts, heart bled out dry No separation The space from the energy A blackened portal Where the teacher is the enemy You'll rest Your head On tethered threads Vulnerable like the light seeping in A brightness to highlight potential A contrast to underline what was detrimental Challenge brought by the confines An open entity where the door leading in  Is simply an exit into the soul They’ve never felt such fright Until they read his mind I’ve never felt so low Just take me now A feeling of perception Leading in and leading out Leading in and leading out Leading in and leading out Lead it in and lead it out Embrace your intuition  Or bury yourself for another  Space, time, and existence  What does it feel like with walls painted red?  A chamber of your aura An essence contained An essence remains
12.
Bulma 02:51
My heart of gold is freezing Let it go, you’re better off Wipe your nose, it’s bleeding You cry alone when you’re overwhelmed I just wanna feel that But I don’t wanna feel bad You won’t find me there, I’ve locked the door He’s leaning over now, there’s no coming down I don’t wanna know when it becomes too much “Just enough” won’t go over well
13.
Evangeline, with your wings Why do you look as though you’re lost? Evangeline, in my dreams you come to me And when you leave I never know Where you are or where to go Evangeline, she’s the breeze I feel her beside me But I have so far to go Evangeline, she’s a dream When you leave I never know Where you are or where to go Evangeline, she’s a dream I’m always dreaming so she’s never alone She’s always with me I never want her to go You seem to just wander off  With no sense or care at all We’re all so lost without her Could tell you all about her If I could dream She’s like a dream

about

“Nobody has riffs anymore,” says founding member/vocalist/guitarist Jacob Duarte when asked about his approach on 12th House Rock, Narrow Head’s highly anticipated LP for Run for Cover due on August 28. “That’s the kind of band we are and to me, that’s just how you write songs. Drums, bass, guitar, vocals. Nothing else. There are no other instruments on the record.”
 
The Houston-based band’s latest entry is the distillation of the greatest moments in 90’s alternative and hard rock with a fresh set of ears, thirteen tracks of their signature brand of bludgeoning lullabies bursting at the seams with creative ideas, new directions and yes, massive, monolithic riffs. In between the sparkle and smash, open-hearted and emotionally naked songwriting showcases a core piece of the band’s identity– showcasing 12th House Rock as one of the best releases of 2020. “It’s the definitive work of Narrow Head,” proudly explains bassist Ryan Chavez. “Recorded in a studio over a month’s span, the way they used to do it. Not just for the sake of making it that way, but because it was the right way for us.”
 
Delving into deep-seated themes of self loathing, desolation, self-medication, the loss of loved ones and hopeful redemption,12th House Rock is, as the title suggests, a rock-focused LP themed on transition– exploring the vast abyss of darkness just before the sun cracks upon the horizon. “A lot of the record was made in the late hours and early morning,” recalls Duarte. ”Those quiet moments alone when utter silence and my self-medication made it impossible to escape from my own thoughts. It was also from a specific time when I didn’t take care of myself and made bad decisions in all aspects of my life. These songs were a way out, temporarily anyway.”
 
Duarte references specific songs on the record as touchstones within that dark period. “’Emmadazey’ and ‘Hard to Swallow’ were inspired by pharmaceuticals and when the people around you know that you’re making bad decisions but are afraid to tell you,” he reveals. “’Crankcase. is about staying up for days at a time, not eating and chain smoking.” Guitarist William Menjivar is also quick to add that “’Ponderosa’ is about big life choices and the empty feelings of ‘What if?’ thinking about whether or not your decision was the right one. In the end it doesn’t matter because you can never take it back.” Yet while all the songs follow explore the darkness, Menjivar adds emphatically that 12th House Rock “does have moments of optimism and sentimentality, so it’s not a completely dark record. Nostalgia is also something we want people to feel when they listen to this.”
 
Rising from the Texas underground scene, Narrow Head formed in 2013 but became fully realized as a band in Houston with the release of their 2016 debut LP Satisfaction and the lineup of Duarte, Menjivar and drummer Carson Wilcox. Playing in the Texas scene instilled a can-do attitude, an ability to explore several different ideas along with a strong set of DIY ethics, qualities that still form the basis of the band to this day. “Book your own shows, book your own tours,” details Duarte about the foundation of his musical viewpoint. ”I think that having other musical projects provided a scene for us to play too. Nobody else was looking at us, so we had to make our own scene.”
 
The band’s second and highly-anticipated LP 12th House Rock was self-produced and born of close to a hundred takes with no click track, vocal correction, drum samples or quantizing, resulting in thirteen testaments to pulverizing pop clocking in above 50 minutes. Initially only Duarte, Menjivar and Wilcox in 2018, the trio of old friends entered the studio with a batch of songs intending to write bass parts on the fly. “I have known Jacob and Carson since childhood and they are the most talented musicians– total prodigies,” states Menjivar. The three looked to build an LP that reflected current tastes as well as “music [they] looked up to as kids,” according to Menjivar, adding their own twist on the entirety of it.
 
Though the primary trio was present throughout the entire cycle, fate would intervene on bass as the undeniable chemistry between the band and then strictly producer Ryan Chavez led to his inclusion in Narrow Head. “Once we got in the studio and started recording demos for the album, I got along with them well and felt full of ideas on how to play bass for certain tracks,” explains Chavez. The newly minted four piece would handle the bulk of the remainder of the LP, bringing in Erica Miller of Big Bite/Casual Hex, vocalist/lyricist on “Delano Door,” and mastering guru Sarah Register to put the final touches on the record. Guitarist Kora Puckett (Bugg, ex-Sheer Mag), who previously logged hours as a live member in the tours preceding the LP, would join Narrow Head as a full-fledged member following the LP’s completion.
 
Using distorted guitars as their primary vehicle, Narrow Head’s wall of riffs add stark contrast to their best quality– deceptively sweet pop melodies that channel the lessons of My Bloody Valentine, Cocteau Twins, Helmet, Deftones and Guided by Voices all at once. “Distortion provides a harmonic sound that feels like static texture,” details Duarte. “It feels smooth while being loud and noisy at the same time. But some of our favorite bands don’t use distortion– all music inspires us. Loud rock is only the first part of our formula– this record is our take on music we like from the last 20 years.”
 
Yet despite whatever comparisons that can be made to guitar tone, mood, songwriting, timbre or virtually anything else, Narrow Head are quick to credit their native Houston, TX as the primary source for it all. “Houston is the greatest city on earth,” says Duarte emphatically. “People who know, know. In Houston, you have to give people a reason to pay attention to you.” With 12th House Rock, not only will Narrow Head have Houston’s attention, but the entire rock world as well.

credits

released August 28, 2020

Narrow Head is:
Jacob Duarte
Carson Wilcox
William Menjivar
Ryan Chavez
Kora Puckett

Performed by Jacob Duarte, Carson Wilcox, William Menjivar, Ryan Chavez
Vocals and Lyrics on Delano Door by Erica Miller
Produced by Ryan Chavez and Narrow Head
Mastered by Sarah Register
Studio Assistance: Nathan Malek, Jade Castillo, Ava Albert, Suvi Ylitalo, Joshua Ben-Shoshan

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