theseheartsAt the risk of sounding polite, These Hearts either need to go back to the drawing board to figure out exactly what they want to sound like or hang it up and stay with their day jobs.

These Hearts
Forever Ended Yesterday
(c)2011 Victory Records
http://these-hearts.com/

If the title of the CD suggests that "Forever Ended Yesterday", we are in serious trouble. At the risk of sounding polite, These Hearts either need to go back to the drawing board to figure out exactly what they want to sound like or hang it up and stay with their day jobs. Now, the polite gloves come off. This disc is the sorriest thing to have wasted my auditory canal.

One word says it all: over-saturated. Actually, that was hyphenated, but I digress. The mix on this seemingly highly publicized disc from Victory Records is consistently muddy and muffled. I attempted listening with different devices, stereos, with headphones, and windows down on back country roads, each time coming to the same conclusion. This is a young, energetic post-pop-hardcore mishmash band that sounds schizophrenic, at best. I think there is a hook somewhere in the songwriting, but just too much is going on at one time in most of the songs. Do I sound like I have enjoyed this experience? I honestly tried to find something redeeming, but when you have to strain to hear any high end in the mix, even with headphones, the overall listening experience is much less than desired.

There is very little that is credible to recommend, folks, other than the power of a youthful image projected. I call it like I hear and see it though. You may find a more "positive" or "constructively criticized" review online, but I firmly believe that just because a band or artist is marketing to the "Christian" market, it doesn't justify sugar coating it for the sake of not offending those in the body of Christ, no matter what scriptural angle you may take. Frisbees have been made to last longer than this wasteland of fodder. They appear to have rabid fans out there. I, personally, don't get the hype. Honestly, I wanted to find something redeemable here.

2tocks


thecannyshark
October 2011