By J1 Reviewer Ella Thibodeau

The Head And The Heart is a band classified under the genre of indie folk. The band has four pre-released songs from their new album Aperture, which are: “Blue Embers”, “After The Setting Sun”, “Time With My Sins” and “Arrow”. These songs were released all together on April 11, and the whole album was released on May 9.

I was first introduced to this band by hearing it in my sister’s car. She would always play their songs as she would drive me arrond when I was younger, and she was in high school. I always liked their songs, and I have been listening to them ever since.

From this sneak peek into their new album, I can tell I will enjoy it because these songs have the same beats and lyric ideas as their other music.

Each song has a similar slow and mellow sort of beat, but this mellow pace does not make the songs boring. Like the beats, they also use similar instruments. They all use the guitar and piano, and two songs noticeably use the drums as well.

Though the songs are slower, they are not boring because the lyrics are meaningful and well thought out. 

“Blue Embers” is about two people who believe in each other and are trying to believe in themselves. They have had dark times that made them feel lost, but they had each other to help them through and see a better life ahead.

“After The Setting Sun” is about reaching the end of something, and having to say goodbye.  Though it is the end of something, you must keep going, “there’s nothing left to lose.” All that is left from their experience is the memories that are filled with love. While they are sad to say goodbye to something, there is nothing but happy memories. Being scared of what’s ahead is described in the song as, “after the setting sun.” The song illustrates what it is truly like to have a bittersweet goodbye, with nothing bad to say about the past, but a fear of what is ahead.

“Time With My Sins” describes what it is like to say goodbye to someone, when you do not want to. The lyrics seem to say that if they stay they could hurt the person, but if they say goodbye, it could hurt themself. While neither person wants to say goodbye, the parting of ways may be better for one person than the other. 

“Arrow” is a song for someone who has felt independent for a long time. The person described in the song sometimes feels like they need help from others, but all their life they have only had themself, so they are like their own “arrow.” This person knows how to rely on themself. Being independent is a good thing, but this person also wants help sometimes. The lyrics, “it’s alright, it’s all I’ve ever known,” exemplify how they have always relied on themself, but have a deeper longing for someone else’s guidance. 

Overall, these songs all fit together. They have the same slow, mellow tempo. I enjoy the mellowness of the songs, but some people may think they are too slow. They predominantly use the same instruments. The songs have the same sort of idea to the lyrics. Each song talks about a sort of life path, but in their own ways. They all talk about trying to move on from something. Whether it is trying to say goodbye, move on from a dark time, or find the guidance of others. 

When listening to a new song, I believe it takes at least three listens to fully understand it. The first, feels out what the song is like. The second, is listening to the beat with a familiarity. The third, listens to the lyrics and the meaning. Each  time I listened to one of these songs I enjoyed it, from the first to the third listen.

These songs all had a sentimental undertone to them. As they were all saying goodbye, talking about another person, or talking about their life and the past. The sentimentality of the songs made me feel melancholy while listening to them, but also peaceful. None of the songs were about anything going wrong, they were about having good times that are now over.

The general style and lyrics of these songs are very similar to the band’s other works. Their other songs have that same melancholic sentimental feeling, but they also have peace. They never talk about a bad experience, moreover what it feels like to move on from something.

I thoroughly enjoyed each of these songs, and would recommend them. I believe “After The Setting Sun” to have the most impactful and meaningful lyrics. However, my favorite song from these four is “Arrow.” I would give these four songs 4.7/5 stars.