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THE REAL ANTHEM – HEARTS
“Hearts” (out now) is a collision of intensity and melody from The Real Anthem. It’s all about the tension between the ferociousness of the sound and the melodic expansiveness. Huge guitar riffs, jagged synths and a very driving rhythm make for a thick, powerful soundscape, which is then contrasted by some very soaring vocal melodies. It doesn’t just stay in one emotional place at all, it moves between the aggressive and the reflective, giving the whole thing a real sense of depth.
Relationships, the existential stuff and the sheer resilience of the human spirit are the thematic bedrock. That’s what gives the title any real significance at all rather than just being a reference to emotion. It’s a song that’s very much about the human condition and the endurance of the human spirit. That’s the whole basis of it really. It’s a song that’s built on that, with Shawn Helton and Andy Mitchell providing the lyrics and the melodies. The thematic content is very much in contrast to the very catchy melody.
Industrial rock and post-punk in the vein of The Cult, Ministry and Killing Joke are all part of the intended sound of the track. Matt King brings his guitars, synths, programmed drums and mixing to the record. His input in the arrangement is what gives the joint a real sense of cohesiveness and the combination of the mechanical heft and the soaring melodies is what makes it work. All of it is there to create an arrangement that is heavy but also very melodic.
“Hearts” manages to combine two very different things in one package: sheer abrasive power and emotional content. The song has a very powerful set of riffs and a very driving rhythm which gives it its heft, and the vocal lines provide a very accessible counterpoint to that. It’s a very modern rock song in terms of its approach, a song about vulnerability and strength that doesn’t in any way compromise its aggression. It’s a very effective single in terms of its hooks and the sheer ambition of the recording.
