Surprising Ambivalence

As The Guardian's Andrew P Street observes, folksy Sydney brother-sister duo Angus and Julia Stone's "A Heartbreak" has a strong, unexpected opening: 'I met your parents. They were lying / About falling in love.' There aren't any traces of the wistful, romantic-escapist inclinations of some of their best known single (their usual acoustic-backed instrospection is certainly there), but there is some remarkably efficient, gritty lyricism:

'I met your parents, they were dyingAbout falling in loveGirl, you're just a childA heartbreakGirl, you're just a childA heartbreak'

Lyrics: Genius.com

While Matt Collar has noted that their Rick Rubin-produced self-titled album focuses on the "on the ennui, the mundane tragedy that permeates many people's daily lives", there's an oblique pessimism that seems unusual here - even if the track's instrumentation, with its "wind-whipped, freewheeling rhythm and echoing, potent percussion" (Chris Jones, 2014) lifts up the track's deadpan proclamations. The harmonies here may not be uplifting, but Julia's lighter, airier vocals work wonderfully with Angus' casual vocal delivery to draw a striking portrait of modern romantic pessimism.