Review By Glen Parkes
Scarborough’s own This House We Built are back — louder, tighter, and hungrier than ever. With their upcoming sophomore album Get Out Of The Rain, due November 21st, 2025, the band are cementing their place as one of the UK’s brightest rising names in modern rock. Building on the success of their self-titled debut, this new collection feels like a defiant statement from a band coming into full stride. It’s confident, melodic, and bursting with that sunshine-soaked, radio-ready spirit that’s made them such festival favourites across the country this year.
Fresh off a summer that saw them light up stages at Call Of The Wild, Love Rocks, Wildfire, SOS Festival, and Maid of Stone, This House We Built have proven they’re more than just another retro-inspired rock act. They’re a band built on chemistry, conviction, and pure feel-good energy. As MetalTalk noted after their Maid of Stone set, their music “brought that summertime feel-good vibe… with big choruses and punchy guitar work”, while ERB Magazine hailed them as a group who “know exactly what people want.” And judging by the sound of Get Out Of The Rain, they’re about to give it to them in spades.
The album opens with “Rain”, a fitting curtain-raiser that sets the tone both musically and thematically. There’s a certain cinematic shimmer to the guitars before the rhythm section kicks in — tight, polished, but brimming with live energy. You can almost feel the droplets falling before the sky clears into a blue-sky chorus built for fists in the air and heads tilted back.
“Addiction”, the first single, is pure melodic rock gold. Driven by crunchy riffs and Scott Wardell’s gritty yet soulful vocals, it’s an infectious anthem that wouldn’t have been out of place on an ’80s FM rock playlist — yet it still feels undeniably fresh. There’s a weight to the lyricism, exploring cycles of dependence and desire, but it’s delivered with such drive that it never feels heavy-handed.
If “Addiction” showed the band’s punchier side, “Coming Home To You” — the second single — reveals their heart. It’s an open-road ballad that captures the warmth and wistfulness of being far from home. There’s something universal about it; it’s a song that feels destined for lighters in the air at the end of a festival set. With soaring harmonies from Andy Jackson and a melodic lead line that tugs at the heartstrings, it might just be the standout moment of the record.
Across the album’s eleven tracks, Get Out Of The Rain walks a line between anthemic nostalgia and modern craftsmanship. Songs like “Broken Dreams” and “Desires” lean into the band’s love of ’80s-inspired hooks, echoing the feel of classic Bon Jovi and Bryan Adams, while “Crash N Burn” and “It’s Only Rock N’ Roll” turn the amps up for some unapologetic riff-driven fun. There’s swagger, sure — but also sincerity.
Bassist Wayne Dowkes-White and drummer Chris Mayes form a rhythm section that keeps things grounded, driving the groove with muscle and precision. Mayes’ drumming, in particular, adds a real sense of character to tracks like “Wheels” and “Better Man”, giving them both swing and punch. And when he steps up to add backing vocals alongside Jackson, the three-part harmonies hit that perfect sweet spot between classic and contemporary.
Scott Wardell, as frontman, sounds fully in command here. His voice is warm yet weathered, capable of both grit and grace. You believe every word he sings — whether he’s belting out a stadium chorus or quietly reflecting on love, loss, or redemption. His partnership with Andy Jackson on guitars gives the album its emotional core; together they trade riffs and harmonies with the kind of chemistry you just can’t fake.
Wardell himself described the album best: “The new album is really sounding strong with a very varied balance of tracks which hopefully showcase what we’re about. All the band have really knuckled down and have all put 100% into every beat and note — we cannot wait for you all to hear where we are now.”
And he’s right to sound proud. Get Out Of The Rain is the sound of a band growing stronger, more confident, and more in tune with who they are. There’s variety here — from the anthemic drive of “One By One” to the reflective closer “Drifter”, which ends the record with a note of weary optimism, a nod to every dreamer who’s ever kept going through the storm.
In a world full of fleeting trends, This House We Built are building something solid — brick by brick, song by song. Get Out Of The Rain isn’t just an album title; it’s a metaphor for their journey. They’ve weathered the storm, and now they’re ready to shine. A melodic rock triumph with heart, hooks, and soul. Get Out Of The Rain feels like the soundtrack to better days — and This House We Built are the band leading us there.
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