For a genre with such a ridiculous name, chillwave seemed to dominate much of the music coming out of the US this year. Acts like Washed Out and Toro Y Moi soundtracked the northern summer with hazy beats and submerged vocals, like sunstruck bliss and the family photo album had formed a band with an old synth.

Though Houses’ debut dropped in the US back in October, its local release coincides with the rising heat and humidity, a setting for which All Night seems purpose-built. Its languid tempos and soft-focus textures evoke the sun-drugged pull of a summer afternoon, the kind where no one wants to do anything more than stare out over the grass in comfortable silence.

All Night’s beach-ready atmosphere will garner lots of chillwave comparisons, and not without cause: singer and producer Dexter Tortoriello’s airy crooning is smeared with reverb much like Neon Indian’s Alan Palomo, and the wide-screen languor is of a piece with Washed Out.

To dismiss Houses as a genre-come-lately member of the chillwave set would be an over-simplification, though. Where chillwave preferred a sound quality akin to that of a sun-warped cassette, All Night is startling in its clarity, even as it juggles dense layers of sound. Like Air France’s No Way Down EP, there’s an airy, Balearic quality to All Night. "Endless Spring" in particular finds a hypnotic groove, the near-imperceptible bassline playing off the drowsy percussion with poise and beauty. Elements of minimal techno ("Reds") and slow-jam R&B slink ("Lost in Blue") are evidence of Tortoriello’s sophisticated palette, and provide enough sonic variation to maintain a sense of forward-movement.

The only thing holding back All Night is the lack of distinctive songwriting. While the album is gorgeously produced, it slides by in a barely differentiated mass of good vibes and dreamy tones, leaving nothing in the way of a memorable melody or clear hook. As a result, the effect of All Night is rather negligible, which is faintly disappointing given that it creates such an immersive atmosphere.

Review Score: 7.5/10