Jump-started from the remains of the now-defunct San Francisco death metal outfit Light This City, Heartsounds is unsurprisingly aggressive. In its former incarnation, multi-instrumentalist Ben Murray and guitarist Laura Nichol were insulated by a slick veneer of rage, but here, no amount of red-lined double-time beats or gruff vocal sneering can hide the fact that Heartsounds relies on melody to keep the beat. As rhythm guitars roar with stuttering low-end riffs, the oppression is cut with scalpel-sharp hook from the lead guitars. While most grads of the Vans Warped tour opt for oppressive nü-metal influences or trawl for major-label contracts with overproduced bubblegum sensibilities, Heartsounds fuse both extremes with authenticity. Writing anthems for people who have been hurt and don’t want to lower their guard, this duo doesn’t take the listener for granted lyrically or musically. And it makes the songs all the more endearing.
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