Moments of Ecstatic High Energy Melt Into Soft Expansion
"It takes audacity to start a song with questions as big and unanswerable as 'Where did we come from? Who are we really?' But for Western Massachusetts duo Home Body, those kind of grand cosmic queries are totally natural, fitting snugly into music that digs deep and shoots for the stars. The soaring voice of Haley Morgan and the throbbing, hovering electronics of Eric Hnatow create songs that are always on the rise, grounded by cardiac beats but unafraid to fly into the sun. On their ambitious second full-length record, Spiritus, Home Body ruminates on darkness, the light, and all the tiny intangible shifts that add up to transformation and change. Three years in the making, the self-produced album is lush with character and detail, displaying moments of ecstatic high energy melting into soft expansion, coaxed along by ghostly textured synths, momentum mounting, spirit settling. Romantic partners for over a decade and collaborators for almost as long, Morgan and Hnatow have been creatively telepathic for a while, and on Spiritus their innate connections produce songs in which every joint and muscle works in consort. 'The pieces of the puzzle fit together like voices,' Morgan sings in 'Lightning,' succinctly describing the duo's tightly-knit music. Home Body aren't afraid to sprawl, though. Their live performances are often dizzying spectacles featuring a home-made light show and elements of modern dance. Spiritus may present only the audio portion of that two-person extravaganza, but in its wide arrangements, sharply-honed turns, and ever-ascending moods, Home Body's music is as three dimensional as real life." —Marc Masters, 2019
Fever-pop duo Home Body ignores convention with their vivid blend of electronic, new wave, and experimental pop music, performed from the gut with wild abandon and art-school-cool theatricality. Balancing textured layers of juicy synthesizers, gritty beats, and tectonic bass with spirited, stormy vocals, synthesist Eric Hnatow and vocalist Haley Morgan create a visceral sonic landscape that feels equal parts cosmic, fleshy and electric. Emerging from the vibrant Western Mass music scene, Home Body plays with form and improvisation while retaining a dreamy pop sensibility and demanding presence. Live, the duo punctuates their sound with dance and DIY manual light manipulation, reaching beyond their performance to create a high-vibration spectacle that is buzzing with soul, shadow, and depth.
Sweethearts for over twelve years, Hnatow and Morgan have been been making music as Home Body since 2011. The duo’s chemistry and unique sound have garnered an enthusiastic fan base throughout the Northeast U.S. and beyond. Drawing comparisons to The Knife, Bjork, Sylvan Esso, and early Eurythmics, Home Body has performed close to 400 shows across the North America since their inception, supporting acts such as Dan Deacon, Boy Harsher, Marco Benevento, TEEN, Guerilla Toss, Pumarosa, and Downtown Boys. In addition to their debut full length In Real Life (2012), and a follow up EP Guts (2014), the duo has scored fashion shows and dance performances and has made music for films and commercials. Album is now available to order!
Check out the new video for "Comet" from Spiritus:
From the album release party at the Shea Theater:
