ALBUM REVIEW: Armbruster - Half My House
** This article originally appeared in our March 2026 issue **
“Full of lovely analog instruments with just the right amount of digital effects, Half My House will please nearly every echelon of music lover.”
I will admit that I’m not very well-versed in violin music, but whether it’s classical or traditional folk, I have always loved the sound of a bow on strings. I was especially excited to get the opportunity to review Half My House, the new full-length album from Armbruster. Armbruster is the performing name of Connor Armbruster, a violinist out of Troy, NY.
While I didn’t know what to expect, somehow the contrast between the first two songs skewed my expectations even further.
The album begins simply enough, with a traditional Adirondack-folk sounding melody. There is a straightforward wood-clap beat and a light acoustic guitar. The tune fully settled me in my belief that I was about to hear a traditional violin, or fiddle album. However, the very next track, “King Under The River,” diverts into an entirely new direction. There are delay-effects and a haunting hand-drum rhythm, taking the sound of a clean violin and modernizing it by adding new dimensions. The strings run through the effects, creating an eerie, yet beautiful soundscape. It’s almost as if someone hired Radiohead to make them some spa-music.
At this point, just two songs in, I had no idea where this album was going, but I was all in.
As “King Under The River” closes out in manic fashion, with the melody slowly devolving into a dark circus march, there is another welcomed tonal shift. This time, it seems like the acoustic guitar is taking center stage, and what an adept performance it is. The lush tones of the strings on “Caislean Na Nor” are only matched by the layers and arrangement. They create such a jaunty and succinct melody that it feels like the soundtrack to a Ren Fair.
Then it comes to an abrupt halt as “Caislean Na Nor” smash-cuts into “The Wounded Hussar,” an ominous piano-forward piece that has a palpable tension created with a drone note and a sinister melody. “The Wounded Hussar” ended up being my standout favorite on the album, and I found myself returning to it several times after my initial listen.
While the next two songs are heavily rooted in traditional music, “The Snow Hole” is similar to “The Wounded Hussar” in that it’s a somber, brooding tune that evokes a type of dread.
Then came the biggest surprise of all: Vocals.
With just a voice reciting a melodic poem and some wind chimes, “Uncle Rat” is the perfect winding down to this incredibly creative album. Full of lovely analog instruments with just the right amount of digital effects, Half My House will please nearly every echelon of music lover.
Half My House by Armbruster is available now.
