The Head and the Heart – Let’s Be Still

Rating:

If you haven’t heard Seattle band, The Head and the Heart, I’d be pretty surprised, as they are one of those groups that has undergone a Mumford and Sons leap from small timers to radio-played ‘indie folk band,’ consumed by the general public. Though they made said jump, their 2010 self-titled debut did not garner the popularity nor the recognition that the singles did, which allowed for the band to fall a little off the map since that release. Let’s Be Still offers the opportunity for this group to prove themselves to their fans and the general public that they are more than a one trick pony. Will they take that opportunity?

They start out on a positive note, with two back-to-back numbers that seem to show some growth from the band. “Homecoming Heroes,” starts out with the bouncy piano and violin work that the band made their signature. Raspy male vocals guide you along through some easy rhymes, while backing vocals smooth the background over with some ‘oohs.’ It’s a fun number, starting things out with an instrumental break at the end that is quite enjoyable. Second track, “Another Story,” is reminiscent of a simpler Cave Singers song, with slightly rambling lead vocals, which works well for this band—it gives a dose of chaos and unpredictability that you wouldn’t expect from them, proving to be the best track on the record.

Though, on the whole, the album falls into the same chasm that their debut did, just without those superstar crowd pleasers. The songs on Let’s Be Still aren’t all bad, but they do combine to make for a bit of a boring album. Those spunky numbers that spiced up their initial release just aren’t there, or if they are, they aren’t as bright and passionate; pun intended, the heart seems a missing from this album. Track after track it seems like all the numbers blur together in one massive, slow tempo, folksy pile. The smaller nuances that drew in audiences are lost when there is little differentiation from song to song. Even the brightest of numbers from the album, such as “Friends,” seem a little flat. They’ve lengthened the album, but thirteen mildly interesting tracks don’t make for an effort I see myself coming back to listen to regularly, or even at all.

Perhaps you’ll think differently, but this is not the strong sophomore effort that I wish for bands of this nature, and it seems as though The Head and the Heart have missed their chance to win me over. The enticement was there from their singles, but I couldn’t take that bait to really bite into their first album; Let’s Be Still doesn’t offer me much of a worm.