The House of Love could have been the great indie success story of the 90s. Unfortunately, their shoegazing bandwagon was derailed by hate, or to more specific, a long-running feud between singer Guy Chadwick and guitarist Terry Bickers. Now the fractious duo have finally made up, resulting in their first album since 1993 - and, their old fans will be delighted to hear, the old chemistry is fully intact. These chiming guitar songs contain traces of both the Velvet Underground and the Smiths, but they also have a fragile beauty of their own that's entirely unique. There's nothing particularly commercial about Days Run Away, and it may all be too little too late to rescue their career. But at the very least, it shows that personal differences should never be allowed to get in the way of making great music. Are you listening, the Libertines?
