At first deceptively minimalistic and quickly as synthetically symphonic as its tracklist neighbors are, Heartour’s “Dear Future” is certainly one of the more melodically spellbinding songs on the new album, R U IN.
Joined by colorful, drum-born eruptions of catharsis like “Refill the Fountain” and the crushingly heavy “The Persuadable One,” “Dear Future” is definitely among the tamer tunes on R U IN, but it isn’t sonically eclipsed by any of the other material here at all – quite the contrary, in fact. Heartour’s latest album is by far his most diversely-appointed, melding elements of electropop with traditional synth rock, post-punk, club beats and even ambient music, yet its nucleus feels completely intact through all ten of its songs. Whether he’s blinding us with emotional balladry in the form of textured grooves in “The Persuadable One” or manipulating fragmented melodies into an ethereal harmony in tracks like “Let the Robots Drive,” Jason Young is more on-point in his execution than ever before here. This LP is alternative rock for grownups, and it couldn’t be hitting record stores at a more important moment this year.
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“Bubbling” starts off feeling more like an indulgent post-rock instrumental than it does a lyrically passionate pop tune dressed in synth melodies, but by the end of its four minute running time, it ends up sounding like both in a way. Young wears his heart on his sleeve in R U IN, and even in chic club numbers like “Brain” (the third single from the album), he comes off as though he’s imparting something very personal and guarded to us.
There’s nothing plasticized for him to hide behind in this mix – synths are up front, basslines are on the bottom, vocals right in the middle – but had there been, his verses in “Eye on the Ball” would still feel sharp as a knife. While a lot of the content on R U IN strikes me as being derived from extended in-studio jam sessions (especially the beautiful, Bauhaus-esque “Dreams to Come”), nothing in this record sounds unevenly experimental. If anything, this is a good mixture of abrasive postmodernity and pop simplicity, which is a difficult balance for any artist to create.
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From the toned synth swagger of “As Far As We Go” to the blushing emotion skewed with blistering drumbeats in “Baby Spiders,” I think Heartour’s R U IN is a grand slam for any indie connoisseur this spring. Critically on par with anything Jason Young has recorded prior to now and yet very focused towards the future (in all the ways that actually matter, at least), this is an album that demands the full attention from its audience on the spot. Involved would be one word I could use to break down the listening experience that R U IN has in store for listeners this May 22nd, but instead, I think hypnotic is a little bit more fitting. It’s hard not to revisit this LP for additional review, and I think anyone who gives it a listen will likely agree.
Troy Johnston