Review Summary: When good music gets cut at the knees.
What little you know about copywrite.int is more beneficial to the impact A Heart of Glass may have. I’ve seen the video clip for Philophobia, supposedly its leading ‘single’ and honestly, I didn’t expect much other than that to be the best and perhaps most daring pop song on an album of other want-to-be-hits. Afterall, what else have you come to expect from Rock in 2015?
You might believe that’s what you’re in store for as well when the album opens up on what sounds like the go to power chord when bands first step on stage to sound check. See, it’s all very clever in how this record woos you into its sprawling ambition. Opener Break_the_screen is a hard rock track that is mixed like a brick wall of guitars, and crunched up drums that cycle a tight, repetitive groove while vocalist ‘Luna’ (Yeah, not kidding. That’s what is on the credits) comes from all angles singing ‘Wasting privileges I own, but never earn,’ before soaring on the chorus with ‘I wake to end my day, can’t stand the emptiness - just wish it all away.’ It’s thunderous and bold, and somehow the brick wall manages to deconstruct itself to a bare bass line in the bridge, giving way to this odd post-rock segment before building itself back up to cut the song off on a dark edge.
This album makes its intentions pretty clear with the next song White Lies, which features a schizophrenic change from the Western-Rock song it first makes itself to be before deciding to scrunch up the idea and end on an ever-ascending chord progression. The same formula goes for the 4th track Social Frustration which starts off a piano ballad of sorts, and finds a way to end in punk roots. I think there’s even a kettle in the background as the track morphs itself into a fuming result.
So where’s our pop rock song Philophobia fit in all of this? Rather, the song sneaks it’s way after a break of sorts presented after what could easily be described as the Progressive first half of the album. Rose Tinted Glass feels as if it chooses to re-write the albums direction, as if you’ve taken the break to flip the vynil round. Luna’s vocals are real venomous, so much so that if you search for the lyrics for this track, you’re given the description ‘Venom Venom Venom.’ It calls to mind something like Julian Casoblancas’ distorted vocals on the first two Strokes records, and delivered with similar aggression. And somehow after this, Philophobia sneaks on the end in probably the most jarring way in the entire record. Credit for that drum solo though in this track!
Reaching Satellites is a feat in itself as you’ve made it through the piano heavy Knives Out, which isn’t heavy as much as it is demonic. Spoken word, and childish na-na-na’s with lyrics fixated around a ‘shephard among the sheep’ is followed up with an acoustic track that is blissful, as if a night under the stars. This is where the album gets on a personal level. A Soothing Sensation is the equivalent of the blues, with lyrics such as ‘a thousand comets, yet non to collide’ and the drawn out outré that Luna begs ‘please convince me otherwise.’ It just hits all the senses. Organ, Saxophone and all!
This album of course isn’t perfect, but it’s focused and it makes up for its short comings in production with it's ambitious song-writing and performances. The highlight has to be the ending of this album, which is elevated further when you’ve made it through the progressive-heavy half of this record. I’m just all around pleasantly surprised by this album, and I’m baffled why it hasn’t struck me all year of its existence. This album’s release must have been the equivalent of a home run while the parents were too busy buying chips and drinks.
Recommended Tracks:
A Soothing Sensation
Break_the_screen
Philophobia
Listen on the Tube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvwmFoql0lg
