Genes, from 2003, is the first album released by Dave Couse since the breakup of A House in 1997.

[1] An important theme is that of family, as represented by the title and also the artwork (which seems to include old family photos), and specifically of Couse's relationship to his father who had only recently died when the record was being made.

[3] John Cale and The Velvet Underground are also significant musical influences on Couse.

[note 1] A difficult, private record, released on a small, self-managed label, Genes did not sell very well.

However, as the first move in a solo career, whose next step, the album The World Should Know, would be nominated for a couple of Meteor Awards, Genes was significant to Couse and to fans of A House who had been waiting to hear from him since 1997.