Of Heart – How We Fell Apart (2020)
Of Heart are bringing their own metal and emo spin to love and heartbreak with their EP How We Fell Apart. With an energy straight out of the late 2000s, they draw on personal experiences to journey through getting your heart broken, falling out of love, losing a loved one and breakups. With melodic energy that will not stop, they will have you riding the sad emotions of the music while having the time of your life.
This blast of metal sadness comes from Reid Richard (vocals, keys), Tommy Ye (guitar) and Santiago Elustondo (drums). The trio are best friends who grew up during the early 2000’s emo music trend and are bringing this back to life with their sound. This throwback to emo of the past is wrapped in some hardcore beatdown sounds that are straight out of the 80s.
The piano lines of ‘The Weight of the Wind’ draws you into the EP. The almost twinkling tones are countered by a vibrating guitar line before Richard’s vocals scream out. That piano line draws you into a false sense of the single which hits you with a heavy dose of metal. The vocals have an emo vibe to them as they come at you with a darkness that is amplified by the pound of the guitars. While pounding against you with metal stylings there is a melodic line that comes throughout the track from the piano line. It is a very interesting mixture of instrumentation that has you worked up only to drip for an easy flow.
The title track ‘How We Fell Apart’ opens with pain-filled vocals against a delicate piano. The melancholy of the piano line enhances the raw feelings of the vocals as they tug at your heart. The guitar the rises from the depths of the music is equally pain-filled. As with the opening track, there is a wonderful interplay between the rock guitars and the delicate piano line. They come together differently on this track for a really morose thread full of heartbreak and sadness.
‘Carry on Kid’ continues the blended soundscape of the band. The deep beats of the drum patter against the piano line before Richard’s vocals slide in. This is when the music takes a turn and starts running at you while getting your heart pounding. There is an infectious feeling to the guitar riffs that make you want to jump around before the bass and piano bring you back to earth. Listening to the lyrics, there is a motivating feeling to the track as it encourages you to carry on and work through any issues you face.
The guitars pulse from the first second of ‘Something Borrowed’ which is different from the opening of the other tracks. The vibrating tones of the melody have a lighter feeling to them which is bolstered by the lyrics. Richard’s vocals have a longing vibe to them as he calls out to someone who can mend his broken heart. The piano line makes its way through the lower levels of the track to add a delicate thread of light against the soaring guitars.
The EP comes to a close with the sliding guitars of ‘In Bloom’ that ride over the piano line. There is a harder pulse of guitars on the track that gets your blood pumping. There is a yearning to go back to simpler times in the song that comes through in the emotive vocals. The pulses of the music cut through your chest and have you riding the waves of the music.
Of Heart combines metal guitars with delicate piano lines for their emotive EP How We Fell Apart. Each track brings an intricate arrangement of overlapping piano and guitar lines that bolster Richard’s vocals. Through the EP, you are filled with a yearning for simpler times, screaming out heartbreak and gentle motivation.
Find out more about Of Heart on their website, Facebook, Instagram and Spotify.
