Album Review: Have Heart - 'Songs To Scream At The Sun'

Since the release of 2006’s The Things We Carry, HaveHeart’s passionately delivered

tunes have been striking a chord with hardcore audiences across the

globe, the word of mouth buzz surrounding the band’s intense live

shows resulting in a constantly expanding fan base that has reached

fever pitch since Songs To Scream At The Sun hit shelves. But

does the record live up to the hype? That’s a resounding yes from

this corner! 

From the opening chords of “The

Same Son” it is obvious HaveHeart mean business, as PatFlynn’s powerful vocals ring true over the top of the

gritty riffs and rolling bass lines, all of which provides the perfect

introduction to “Bostons”, a track that is as aggressive as they

come yet it somehow retains the same melodic edge that we have become

so accustomed to. 

The comparisons to ModernLifeIsWar will be inevitable, however that’s not

to say “Pave Paradise” is a copycat effort… far from it. Quite

simply, the song’s general vibe and Patrick’s story-teller

style lyrical approach, create the same mood that HaveHeart’s

recently defunct peers championed over the last few years, while the

almost hypnotic “On That Bird In The Cage” only solidifies my opinion

that HH are leaders of an overcrowded pack.  

KurtBallou’s

fantastic production job really shines through on tracks like “Brotherly

Love”, the sparse guitars and intricate drum parts sitting perfectly

in the mix, while the same can be said for the catchy “No Roses, No

Skies”, a song that takes sing-a-long punk and gives it a modern,

hardcore twist. Although it clocks in at less than sixty-seconds, “The

Taste Of The Floor” is a worthy inclusion on Songs To Scream At The

Sun, as it provides the perfect pathway into the ambient, string-heavy

“Reflections.  

It’s not often a group is able

to capture their live intensity on record, however HaveHeart

have done just that. The combination of a well-suited production job

and heart felt, perfectly executed songs have resulted in one of the

hardcore discs of the year.

1. The Same Son
2. Bostons
3. Pave Paradise
4. On That Bird In The

   Cage

5. Brotherly Love
6. No Roses, No Skies
7. The Taste Of The Floor
8. Reflections
9. Har