The Head And The Heart is a young band from Seattle who got recognized with their self-titled debut due to its irresistible sensitive American folk interpretations. They radiated naïve youth that seduced the listeners and formed a promise about the better future, the one we see in movies with the happy end. As we all know, happy ends do not always happen. The band decided to leave their trademark style behind and strive for commercial success. This is not the first time the band that I like chose not to be graceful. I get that we all need coins in order to survive, but it’s just disappointing when artists sacrifice their pure talent just to sell more.
It comes as no surprise that their third album Signs of Light is under Warner Bros. Records. Transition to different label resulted in the album that sounds too commercial, far from their alternative beginnings. Shiny production came into independent light the band was shining on all of us, and made them lose the seductive authenticity.
The first track of the record and the first single All We Ever Know sets the mood for the whole album – total pop with just a sprinkle of rock. City of Angels and Turn Around are over-polished numbers that prove the band’s intention to distance themselves from originality. The raw music sections are gone for the sake of popularity.
Every now and then, you could hear a bit of their recognizable sound. Title track Signs of Light represents a wasted potential. It stands as an evidence of what we could have got If the band continued with their style. It’s as If things were going their way when they were more simple and personal. Lyrics are solid, but they don’t sound reflective.
The Head and The Heart accomplished one thing with their third album – it is totally catchy. It’s like a soundtrack of any romantic comedy. If you put in your player, you are probably going to listen to it a lot. Some songs will stick, but you will get bored of it after a week. The problem is that there are way too many similar albums on the music market. Maybe next time they need to use their hearts more, and leave the head aside.
