In a world where attention spans are three seconds, it is heartening to see that bands are making albums that need to be heard from start to finish, a work of care and quality that will stand the test of time. This House We Built understand this, and with their critically acclaimed self-titled debut, they announced their arrival onto the scene, showing all the hallmarks of music constructed to last. Two years on and sophomore album Get Out Of The Rain refines the formula further, the blend of melodies and arena-filling riffs even bigger and better than before.
This House We Built – Get Out Of The Rain
Release Date: 21 November 2025
Words: Paul Monkhouse
Sitting comfortably with albums made by the likes of old friends Tyketto, etc., this new release has a universal appeal that brings together radio-ready anthems like opener Rain and Desires with joyously constructed ballad Drifter, illustrating deceptively simple ease.
Rain opens the album, and the accompanying video premieres this morning at MetalTalk. “It was probably the most challenging video we’ve done so far,” vocalist/guitarist Scott Wardell told us. “We had a lot of fun with it, but I did have to sacrifice a guitar in the process. Guitars and rain don’t mix. Kids, don’t try this at home.”
The video’s concept tackles themes of mental health and emotional struggle. “It’s about someone gradually fading into a place they don’t want to be,” Scott explains. “The song is that lifeline, trying to help, whether it’s your child, a friend, or someone you love. It’s our way of saying Don’t give up. I’ll always be watching over you.”
Given enough polish to truly shine and appeal, there is more than enough grit here to speak of true integrity, the Scarborough-based quartet never forgetting their roots as they have stadiums in their sights.
Too ballsy to be corralled in with AOR, this ability to write insistent hooks and bring gloriously layered vocals and guitars has more to do with the likes of Queen and Sweet, but carefully sidestepping the bombast and glamour.
You get the feeling that these boys would run a mile away from any suggestion of spandex and hairspray, but their ability to write songs that instantly get under your skin is undeniable.
Certainly, there is a touch of Def Leppard in the structure of It’s Only Rock ‘N’ Roll and Addiction sounds something like a potential lovechild bringing together the very best of Bon Jovi and Nickelback, but this is more a crowd-pleasing coincidence than anything that slavishly apes those bands for effect.
It is when the band get down and dirty that they are at their best, and the meaty swing of Crash N Burn, along with the relentless hard rock of Take My Wheels, is impossible to argue with. Coming Home, shimmers with the same modern feel that Those Damn Crows have built their reputation on.
Certainly, the tracks themselves are full of highs, Scott Wardell’s vocals, Andy Jackson’s guitars, the bass of Wayne Dowkes-White and drums of Chris Mayes working together to provide a cinematic soundscape. But it’s the lyrics that stay with you the longest.
Reflections on love, loss, highs and lows combine in memorable tales that resonate with the heart and mind, the honesty and lyrical prose capturing a universality that goes beyond the usual clichés.
It might have taken a while for all the right ingredients to come together to form This House We Built, but you get the feeling that this is only the second step on a very long journey.
A late contender for album of the year, Get Out Of The Rain is spectacular and something that will remain loved for many years to come.
A self release, Get Out Of The Rain is out today. For more details, visit linktr.ee/thishousewebuiltofficial. You can catch the band at Homecoming, War Memorial Hall, Pickering tomorrow night.
