Sep 25 2008
Hearts of Palm UK – For Life
Hearts Of Palm UK
For Life
Hypnote; 2008
Please don’t take me for some snobby, head-in-the-clouds reviewer when I express my distaste for the spate of overly adorable, charm-your-pants-off acts that are filling up hip, cool playlists. Honestly, they make me feel like my teeth are going to rot out each time my ears are exposed to some sugary-sweet sounds. Don’t get me wrong here: I love a good hook, a solid harmony vocal, the occasional twinkling keyboard pattern, and some sensitive, heart-on-the-sleeve lyricism. But why do they all have to sound like they’re going to end up in a Mac commercial, quasi-edgy television show, or tear-jerking sequence in a sorta-indie movie pointed firmly at the 18-to-25 year-old demographic?
So maybe I’m a bit biased against the music of Hearts Of Palm UK and their new album, For Life. On the one hand, I enjoy the dark synths, brooding bass, and achingly romantic lyrics of this all-female trio, but on the other hand, these are rather oft-used ingredients in contemporary indie-pop. And that’s simply not a good sign for the future of the record, because, for every track like the delectable stylings of “People & Logistics,” “Kavorka,” and “Forever” that give the entire effort a big lift into another echelon, there are stale, tired songs like “Trust,” “Jonathan FMF,” and “More Than This” that bring it down to average status.
Maybe I’d have a different opinion of their entire sound if the beats carrying these songs weren’t so lame and punch-less; then again, if there was more heft to them, the girls would leave behind their Tegan & Sara meets Mates Of State (but all girls!) motif for that of The Dresden Dolls, and I’d still complain. But maybe not. All things considered, I do like elements of what I hear with Hearts Of Palm UK, but I can’t shake the feeling that I’ve heard it before and that I’m going to hear it again soon. Ultimately, For Life will definitely please fans of tender, dreamy pop songs sung by sweet voices and backed by keys and drum samples, but too many of these songs sound too much alike for this reviewer’s tastes.