Album Review: HAERTS – HAERTS
3 min read
Indie/pop group HAERTS are fresh out of Brooklyn, they burst onto the scene with their debut EP in 2013 called Hemiplegia, not to mention an already stellar touring history; thus far HAERTS have toured with the likes of St Lucia, Shout Out Louds, Atlas Genius and Washed Out, pretty impressive! The group have just released their debut full-length studio album, affectionately titled HAERTS, which features all four original songs featured on their previous EP release and six new tracks.
Album opener Heart has a light, bouncy feel that lifts the spirits; the beat is subtle yet strong. Wings has a different atmosphere to its predecessor, though the high spirited sound is still prominent, the instrumentation is somewhat deeper and the vocal as smooth as ever, the bridge intensifies the track; Hemiplegia has a darker sounding introduction with the deep synths, but it soon gives way to the more relaxed tone of the vocal in the verse, later the track becomes more intense and has a fuller sound that gives it a strong dynamic. Call My Name returns to the airy vibe we heard right from the beginning, it’s not exactly a stand alone track that captivates you like the previous tracks, however the chorus is what differentiates it and gives the vocal a little more playground to play on; refreshingly, No One Needs To Know has a sound that seperates itself from the strict formula followed on the album so far, it’s still pop music but you are won over by the finger picking of the guitar and the overall vibe of innocence.
Faster paced synths and an ever-growing beat develops Giving Up, the lyrics are a little more spaced with each line, creating time to think and a chance to anticipate every step the track takes; breathy guitars bring us into Lights Out, the quieter instrumentation of the first verse gives us a moment to be intimate with the vocals, the second verse brings back the beat that we’ve been enjoying thus far. Be The One doesn’t really get in your face, but its chorus has an atmosphere and a melody that sell the track to you; a deep, bouncy bass line and percussion introduces All The Days, before long the vocals, synths and the thumping beat follow to create a flowing energy. Lastly, Hope ends the album on a lighter note, its instrumentation initially sounds 80s pop influenced with the dragging synths and the light beat of the dream, it’s a wonderful way to finish such an atmospheric album.
HAERTS’ self-titled debut is a guaranteed decent dose of indie/pop that is captivating, enchanting and delightful all at the same time. It’s clear the group have really worked hard on establishing a trademark quality to their sound, it doesn’t come across as a mainstream kind of a record, but these days you don’t have to write a bunch generic pop songs to sell your work. HAERTS are going places and they’ve made that clear with their decent track record so far, and they will only go further; it will be interesting to see where they wind up next.
