Within all creative fields there often develops a certain amount of tension between an artist’s existing work and any new direction their muse leads them in. I consider it an accomplishment of high order then, when that tension between continuity with the past, and artistic growth, are skillfully and harmoniously reconciled.
Let’s Be Still, the sophomore record recently released by indie folk-rock group The Head and the Heart, is a wonderful example of just such balance. This album retains all the best elements from the band’s previous, eponymous release, including among other things foot-stomping drums, driving, percussive piano, and soft, clear vocal harmonies. But by no means has The Head and the Heart grown artistically static. Their latest album features a range of styles that exemplify the wealth of musicianship possessed of each of the six band members.
The interlude “Springtime,” provides an elegant framework for Charity Thielen’s haunting vocals, echoing the lofty sound of Fleet Foxes, and her gorgeous violin weaves brilliantly and seamlessly throughout the album. Even bassist Chris Zasche is given some little time to shine through the playful bass line of “Shake.” Despite having great musicianship, the members of The Head and the Heart keep things very simple. There are no mind-blowing solos, or amazing feats of technical prowess. Rather, subtlety is the style of The Head and the Heart, who are content to add layer upon careful layer of rhythm and harmony so that each song is very much a unified whole.
The Head and the Heart’s story resonates with many aspiring musicians who have struggled with choosing between a dream and realistic future. Formed in 2011 in Seattle, although the band members hail from all over the country, The Head and the Heart rose to success because the six musicians decided to pursue their passion for music. No one could describe this journey better than front man Josiah Johnson: “It’s terrifying and it’s never perfect, but it’s some kind of beauty just realizing that you might screw up, but you’re going with it anyway.”
And go with it they have; Let’s Be Still has a bigger sound than the band’s last album, doubtless the consequence of extensive touring with groups the likes of Dr. Dog, Vampire Weekend, and My Morning Jacket. Fortunately success has not made this album any less intimate or relatable than it’s predecessor.
Lyrically, the album comes across as honest and a little wistful, just take these lines from the title-track “Let’s Be Still:” “The world’s just spinning/ A little too fast/ If things don’t slow down soon we might not last.” The need to take time out of life and, well, “be still,” is a theme throughout the album, and cannot be missed as it is reiterated from song to song. Other lines come across feeling less poetic, though losing none of their raw honesty, as in “Fire/Fear:” when the singer left standing alone with his mistakes, laments: “You look at me, as cold as a stone/ There’s no way to write what’s been done wrong/ You left me a fool.” Followed up by some mournful falsetto, the result is a flood of melancholy washing over the listener. In “Fire/Fear” and “Cruel” are both rife with the band’s country-rock influence, expressed in the yearning refrains of the almost-ballads. Weeping slide-guitar and husky violin tones texture “Cruel,” balancing the more up-beat tracks like “Shake” and “My Friends.”
Though The Head and the Heart have risen to moderate success (by any definition) they have not been swept away, and far from it, the Let’s Be Still is a sure sign the band has their feet are firmly planted on the ground. Let’s Be Still is contemplative and reflective. Fittingly enough, listening to it is a great way to step back from the speed of everyday life, relax, and, well– you know.