Described as a "Brooklyn dream pop outfit," Heaven composed a debut album that defines this sound the best way a band can. Matt Sumrow (Dean and Britta, The Comas, Ambulance LTD), Mikey Jones (The Big Sleep, Swervedriver, Snowden) and Ryan Lee Dunlap (Fan-Tan) came together as Heaven, mixing indie rock, shoegaze and pop for a sound that surprises and grabs hold of listeners.
Reverb-soaked drums, reminiscent of Phil Spector's "wall of sound," take you back to the classic pop hits, combined with modern stories and effects. Plus there were tambourines in each song - which is a very good thing. Each track was able to make one stand up and move. No matter the mood or the rhythm - you are moving to "Telepathic Love."
Some standout tracks include "Colors in the Whites of Your Eyes," "Falling Apple" and "Mountains Move." The latter included one of the most incredible-yet-simple transitions from somber verse into driving chorus that I've ever heard. I felt like zoning out at first, but the drums grabbed me and kept me close. The music really reflects the lovelorn lyrics that run throughout the whole album.
The good songs consisted of a simple formula: repeated hooks that actually did their job of hooking the listener. Who thought the actual definition of a musical dynamic could be exemplified so well in today's music age of whatever and everything else?
The album lost me on the out-of-place interlude "Put Me Away" and the vocal-centric "Southern Rain." In "Southern Rain," the focus is on the one of my favorite aspects of the record: the strained vocals. Clearly not "pitchy" or however-we-describe-strained-vocals-these-days, there was just too much of it and the feelings from the other songs just dropped away.
"Telepathic Love" concludes with the song "Centuries," a song that made me realize how much I would love to see Heaven live. Complete with robotic, pulsing drums as well as simple guitar melodies, the final song throws a bow on this album. Exclaiming "we'll all be the lucky ones," the song transports you to a time of psychedelic rock a la The Velvet Underground while grounding you in a revival that is very alive today.
MORE MUSIC REVIEWS FROM THE WEEK OF 6/30
Five Finger Death Punch "The Wrong Side of Heaven and The Righteous Side of Hell Vol. 1"
The Backstreet Boys "In A World Like This"
Tech N9ne "Something Else"
Robin Thicke "Blurred Lines"
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