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Renee
Heartfelt: Magdalene EP
Somewhere along the way, we trade in our Minor Threat records for Fugazi records; Im not sure why we all end up going down this road, but we do. The exact time that traditionalist, hardcore punk-rock ceases to move us is unclear, but at least by the time the early twenties roll around, we may find ourselves listening less and less to our old Black Flag and Fifteen records. This tried and true course was, apparently, also taken by the members of Renee Heartfelt. Leaving their hoodies and aggression at home, Renee Heartfelt is populated alums from the likes of Count Me Out, Striking Distance, and Give up the Ghost. Renee Heartfelt will no doubt get tagged with the post-hardcore label and insofar as that term has any meaning at all, it is probably accurate. The obvious musical reference point is to the late-great Texas Is the Reason, and if TITR had stuck around, amped up its guitars, and found a less whiny singer, they would probably sound a lot like Renee Heartfelt. This is not a bad thing at all, and those of you who still pine for the old days of what used to be called emo (are we post-emo now?) will appreciate this album. It is unclear what the chronological order of these tracks are, though I would bet that the tracklist does follow the history of the band thus far; because each track adds a little something into the mix as the album progresses, culminating in the superb closing track Picasso. I dont tend to like singers like the one on this album, though I found myself warming up to him after a while. It is very much in the tradition of Texas Is the Reason or of later, more commercial bands and it gets the job done. The lyrics are solid but not memorable, again also in the Texas Is the Reason tradition. The production value on this record is excellent, however, which really brings out the nuances in the songs. This especially puts more focus on the rhythm section, which is often overlooked in a record like this, but which Renee Heartfelt has in spades. My only real complaint is with the misuse of Mary Magdalene. This is not really related to the music and may seem somewhat academic, but in the song of the same name, Renee Heartfelt uses Magdalene of a woman unjustly accused of sexual promiscuity. The real Mary Magdalene, at least as portrayed in the only source we have about her, is a whore. The point is that the Magdalene symbol is not about unjust accusation, but about conversion and forgiveness, etc. That aside, this is a great EP. Unfortunately, it is only an EP, and because of that, it is hard to get a complete idea of the band. A full-length hopefully will be released soon, and we will be able to tell if Renee Heartfelt can sustain and deepen their sound and whether they can thrive in their new home in the land of the post-hardcore/post-punk/post-whatever scene. If the Magdalene EP is any indication, they should only get better.
This album can be purchased at Limekiln Records Renee Heartfelt Official Website About LOTD Contact/Staff Advertise Home All content © LEFT OFF THE DIAL 2001-2005. All rights reserved. |
