For those Pioneers who couldn’t get enough of perennial folksters The Head and the Heart (THATH) at DUPB Musicfest last spring, get ready to fall in love with their delightfully refined sophomore effort “Let’s Be Still.” Set to release on the group’s new label, Sub Pop, on Oct. 15, the record shines with a more mature, sophisticated sound than their 2011 eponymous debut, though it stays true to the Seattle six-piece’s trademark passion-heavy sound.
The more sophisticated and elegant arrangements that many of the tunes showcase prove that the sextet have definitely grown up a bit since their release two years ago—and we certainly are not complaining. This maturation is in large part due to the influence of the various indie deities the outfit has toured with over the past couple years (Death Cab For Cutie, My Morning Jacket and The Decembrists to name a few), who frontman Josiah Johnson has admitted as having a major influence on the group’s sonic direction. They have made dense, layered and intelligently written songs their bread and butter, this campaign being no different as they never betray the flavorful and highly digestible new folk they have cultivated.
The angelic rawness and three part harmonies of singers Johnson, Jonathon Russell and Charity Thielen bubble to the top of the dense chunk of sound on just about all of the record’s 13 tasty tunes.
The title track is a flare of particular beauty, with Johnson and Thielen co-piloting microphone duties to a richly fulfilling result. The two swoon about time melting away all too quickly and encourage listeners to take a step back and “just for a moment, let’s be still.” With some tranquil guitar and bass work oddly reminiscent of early Tom Petty, the melancholy tune begs for a black and white slow-motion video, Thielen and Johnson dripping with emotion.
For listeners craving more sounds in the vein of 2011’s heart-wrenching “Rivers and Roads,” Thielen steps up and delivers big with what seems to be her best Cat Power impersonation on “These Days Are Numbered.” Thielen’s buttery croon strikes the same heart chord as her 2011 long-distance relationship anthem, though the harsh harmonica that creeps in during the final minute makes the Kleenex slightly less necessary.
The album undulates along a hilly and highly emotional road, creating moments riddled with teary-eyed thoughts of what could have been, followed immediately by folk-rock anthems that will have listeners tapping and bopping along in a flash.
One such instance of the latter comes at the hands of the single, aptly titled “Shake” that could certainly gain some serious airtime and promptly become a bonafide hit. Building upon a pounding, Mumford & Sons-style bass drum beat, the jam enjoys some fine work on the ivories provided by pianist Kenny Hensley as well as an adrenaline-pumping, cymbal-bashing chorus compliments of drummer Tyler Williams. In line with the love-drenched themes of the record as a whole, the number relates the bittersweet tale of a love of yesteryear, the intangible mechanisms of destiny still attempting to thrust the seemingly opposing souls together, “But the wind, yes, the wind keeps pushing you to me.” Don’t be surprised to see this one inundate the indie film circuit over the next few years, a statement that could in fact be said about just about every song on the record or even THATH’s entire catalogue.
Although genuine indie-folk icons in their own right, “Let’s Be Still” could and should push this crew to the recognition they deserve. Look for this record to make a splash, and revel in THATH’s 55 minutes of indie folk elation.
