Review Summary: Fuck off all nerds.
My Heart to Joy make me proud to be from Connecticut. As a newcomer to my local music scene, I was fortunate enough to attend several of their shows last year, including the band’s last before their breakup. In addition to providing me with one of the most powerful live acts that I have seen, MHTJ made me aware of the sense of community within a scene that I did not even know existed; it was truly more than just some kids going to shows. What Connecticut has is a group of likeminded, forward thinking individuals who gather for a purpose greater than music. This attitude was made obvious to me especially upon the loss of a beloved member of the local music community, whose life was celebrated during MHTJ’s final two shows. The final show served as both a sendoff for the band after their short-lived career, as well as a benefit for the Dubey family, to whom all profits from this night of both sadness and celebration were donated. My Heart to Joy’s first, last, and only full-length,
Seasons In Verse has since grown to represent not only fond memories but also a pivotal moment in my life when I realized that music is more than just a hobby.
Imagine you are taking a walk in the woods; the air is cool, yet not uncomfortably cold, and with a deep breath it feels crisp and renewing. These are just some of the images that come to mind when listening to
Seasons In Verse. The album has almost an omnipresent, inhuman nature to it, as if Mother Nature is reminding the listener of his connection to the earth he inhabits:
“Struggle out from buried soil, with a smile to shed that winter weight.” Persistent, bleedy guitar lines play throughout, complemented by imperfect production, adding to the atmosphere of the album that seems to encapsulate everything about a beautiful day off spent outside exploring, free from the limitations of mankind.
Time Spent Breathing into
Empty Homes exhibits the necessity of instrumental as well as vocal sections, which are regarded with equal importance throughout the album. The intro envelops the listener, shakes him up a bit as it transitions into the album’s first real track, and then spits him back out, insisting,
“The sound of my own voice keeps me from falling asleep.” Seasons In Verse is built around moments like these – the ones that are truly attention-grabbing. Buildups on the album are monumental (e.g.
Giving My Hands Away), and avoid predictability – something that is easier said than done – making nearly every song memorable. However, although it is not imperative to note, one of the final tracks, a cover of Guided By Voice’s
Goldheart Mountaintop Queen Directory, does drag and stand out a bit as the one weak track on the album, despite being a solid cover injected with plenty of bleeding emo character.
Like all great journeys, the experience that is
Seasons In Verse must end at some point. Imagine, this time, returning from your woodland expedition; the sun that was once rising ever higher in the sky is now coming to rest between the trees. An orange glow radiates over the spindly branches as the sight of civilization appears in front of you again. Unfortunately, this means returning to the “real” world, but like a refreshing hike through the woods,
Seasons In Verse has left an impact great enough to remind you to continue on, for the future beholds many adventures like these to come.
