The problem with music criticism (aside from the fact that it pays zilch) is that, when you want to describe a band, you’re really stuck with two options. Option one: compare the band to another band and / or an assortment of bands (example: Allston’s EARTH HEART sounds like one part VIVIAN GIRLS mixed with a dash of HEAVENLY and stirred vigorously by Poly Styrene of the X-RAY SPEX). This is commonly seen as hacky and uncreative. However, with approximately seventeen billion bands in the world, I personally feel mentioning similar sounding touchstones is necessary, otherwise BATHORY is just like BELLE AND SEBASTIAN and who cares and we should all just go home because, whatever. Option two: just use a whole mess of adjectives (example: EARTH HEART are lo-fi, buzzy, punky, angular, and jangly). That’s all well and good except, you know what else is “buzzy and jangly?”; my breathing in the morning (I really must quit smoking). So that also tells you nothing.

In sum, I want to find a way to recommend EARTH HEART because they’re quite good, but they also sound like so many different and disparate bands, I fear I actually may be listening to something wholly original?! From lo-fi post punk on the song “Homesick”, to bluesy and country on “Providence”, to wailing garage rock on “Mario”, EARTH HEART clearly do whatever they want whenever they want because, whatever they do, it all sounds damn good. But how the hell am I supposed to accurately describe that?! I guess I could just direct you to their Bandcamp site below and let you listen for yourselves, but then I’d be out of a job. Granted a job that pays nothing but, still. So thank you, EARTH HEART, for making great music, and damn you for making my life just a bit more difficult.