Local Review: Mom Dad & Me — margo’s house

Mom Dad & Me
margo’s house
Last Chance Records
Street: 07.25.2025
Mom Dad & Me = Turnover + Lord Huron

“Lucid,” track one of margo’s house, feels like the beginning of something special. It’s both unfamiliar and comfortable at the same time, evoking similar feelings as when I first heard Hummingbird by Local Natives or “Holocene” by Bon Iver. “Lucid” is a beautiful and expansive instrumental track that does a stellar job at welcoming the listener into margo’s house, and while that place is new, it is still familiar enough to not be uncomfortable. The drums throughout the track are full of poise but are not overwhelming, and when the string section joins in? It’s the zenith of the track and all but confirms that this is a very special record that you’re about to partake in.

“BFG” and “Caroline” both do a superb job with their levels. “BFG” was the lead single and delivers exemplary effects on the vocals that extend or accentuate certain tones throughout the lyrics that speak about ruminating on the past. “Caroline” displays similar production qualities, but the use of space stood out to me even more – the length of time that a note is held or a chord is played, how long a word is sung for or where emphasis is placed on a phrase during its performance all indicate to me how deliberate each element of this record is.

Track four “Feather” opens with a gentle guitar and serene vocals that establish a strong base for the track to build off of, which it absolutely does. As listeners are met by the first chorus, the instrumental passage between verses, and the final chorus at the end, “Feather” works in stages that kept me engaged. Pair this staging with standout lyrics such as “And she’ll take all your wounds if you let her” as well as “And the words you sing, sweet as tangerine, is how I know that your love is unfettered” and it’s easy for “Feather” to serve as a standout track.

“Hands” and “Blue Jays” follow a similar line, with each song containing multiple standout lyrics. In “Hands,” there’s lines like “When I talk I can’t speak / The things I feel cause they don’t feel real” and “I’m paralyzed by the things I see / In my own reflection, is it really me?” In “Blue Jays,” I loved “Love can turn to pain if I let it go to waste, so I need to hear your voice and make you laugh.” When lyrics like these are joined by strong performances, mixing and mastering that allows them the space in the track to shine and instrumentals that support and even elevate their meaning, “Hands” and “Blue Jays” will find ways to leave an impact on anyone who listens. 

“Plastic Rubber Beads” and “Angel Eyes” both stood out to me as unique, and not because they’re the only tracks that speak on intense emotions. Moreover, it’s due to the solemn and isolated feeling of “Plastic Rubber Beads” and the yearning fervor that “Angel Eyes” displays.

Track nine, “Wish,” reflects on days past and the desire to have better recognized them in the moment as important and memorable, but instead you’re just remembering them while feeling stuck. With a driving instrumental that I visualized a slideshow of my life alongside, “Wish” is yet another part of margo’s house that I was able to find relatability in.

Track ten, “Polygon” is another quality instrumental track, with an opening that reminds me of Illinois emo great American Football’s seminal self-titled record of the same name. “Polygon” again delivers a great pace and diverse levels that bring listeners along the highs and lows of the track before it fades into track eleven, “Wait.” “Wait” starts quickly, with a fast pace that’s moved forward with driving lead guitar and great cymbal work. Lyrics like, “I’m still stuck in my skin / All my lives held within” and a reference to the previous track, “Wait” is a fun song that’s danceable but also continues the run of relatable and emotional writing.

The record’s closing track, “Taking Time,” begins softly with strummed guitar and straightforward notes acting as the base that elevate lyrics that are delivered almost like poetry. Drums come in around the halfway mark and act as a bridge through the final half of the track, as the instrumental levels up and the vocal delivery shifts from spoken word style to something more full and expansive about feeling disconnected from someone. The song returns to its roots and winds down, with sweet harmonies carrying listeners to the album’s end.

Mom Dad & Me delivers an expansive and impressive sophomore record with margo’s house. Listening to margo’s house on repeat as I drove out of Salt Lake City to Vernon, where the record was made, and back heightened my recognition of this album as something special that any fan of folk and indie rock will appreciate. —Hans Magleby

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