Single reviewsThe Other Side Reviews

The Heroic Enthusiasts – All I Want (2024)

Bonding over a shared love of Britpop, new wave and post-punk, musicians James Tabbi and Thomas Ferrara came together to create The Heroic Enthusiasts. Already experienced artists in their own right with solo and band projects, the pair combined influences, skills and knowledge presenting diversity and innovation in the new group. With a critically acclaimed discography hailing back to the 2016 EP Memory Wheel, as well as powerful live performances, The Heroic Enthusiasts have turned heads far beyond their US borders. The latest addition to their discography is the single ‘All I Want’.

Following their remixes of Lesley Gore’s classic song ‘You Don’t Own Me’, Tabbi and Ferrara released their first original single of 2024, ‘All I Want’. Breathing life into old-school post-punk sounds, The Heroic Enthusiasts capture the essence of 80s post-punk dragging it kicking and screaming to the 21st century. Alright, maybe not kicking and screaming but with a certain deftness and flair making the track refreshingly retro.

Recorded and produced with renowned producer Stephen Hague, known for his work with iconic artists Peter Gabriel, New Order and Pet Shop Boys (to name a few), ‘All I Want’ is a concoction of dreamy synths, bold drums and powerful guitars. An immersive experience, listening to ‘All I Want’ is like being shoved into a twirl of sonic fog – thick, dense and heavily perfumed with wistful yearning. Add the dulcet vocals and it’s a heady mixture of richness, warmth, comfort and ease.

Taken from the band’s forthcoming debut album, Illuminate, ‘All I Want’ is a single of uplifting hopefulness in an uncertain world. Thomas Ferrara explains:

“In uncertain times, the world can seem more opaque than ever. In the face of that, we wanted to create an album of clear, powerful, and uplifting songs, and the album’s first single ‘All I Want’ is exactly that.”  

Perhaps this is only my ear and analysis but, for me, there is an interesting expression of clarity and hope in the new single. A heavy post-punk sound – the fog I mention – might make one’s vision fuzzy; however, the arrangement simultaneously offers a sliver thread shining bright as a beacon to the light at the end of the proverbial tunnel.


Find out more about The Heroic Enthusiasts on their Facebook, Instagram and Spotify.

This artist was discovered via Musosoup #sustainablecurator


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