NYC’s HEAVEN do it right. What is “it”, you ask? Well, if we’re talking sonically/musically (Which would be the case since this is a music blog) then “it” is everything. On the follow up to 2013’s Telepathic Love, HEAVEN prove that fact and then some on a sophomore outing that has not only been a long time coming but also more than worth the wait.
But I digress.
On their latest, HEAVEN bring even more warmth to their synthetic soliloquies delivering an album that’s as diverse as it is divine. “Never The Moment” sounds huge the moment it bombastically creates an electronic wall of sound out of your speakers, opening up All Love Is Blue with driving guitars coupled with Matt Sumrow’s dreamy vox to create a familiar yet altogether new vibe.
Then “She’s Closer Than Everyone” mixes it up quite a bit, moving into almost Brit-Pop territory at times before settling into a steady groove and becoming a jangly rawker. “Springtimes (And All My Summer Times Too)” is like The Beach Boys mixed with The Raveonettes injecting some gloom within a sunshiney soundscape.
“All Love Is Blue” is a glistening and Synister (Get it? Synthetic mixed with Sinister?) post-punk wailer complete with screamy guitars, throbbing backbeats, and airy vocals while “Falling Hearts” begins like an old school New Order jam with shimmering guitars courtesy of Sumrow before transforming into an entirely new beast. “Darken Fields” drops next and is a throbbing hymnal built on Mikey Jones’ tribal drumming and Liz Lohse’s unbelievable cushion of electro sounds and backing vocals that hum when paired with Sumrow’s leads.
The quiet delight that is “The Sun Shines Thru In The Evening” is akin to an album closer with its’ tonal shift but instead fans are treated to several more tracks that present a slightly different side of HEAVEN. “Firesky”, being the exception, is the penultimate chapter building into a cacophony of thumping beats and riffs before “Peaceful Way For The Sun To Rise” serenely ushers out HEAVEN’s superb sophomore release.
All Love Is Blue is out through Little Cloud Records on March 2nd. Physical copies are up for pre-order by clicking here while digital ones are available here. For more on HEAVEN, including where you can catch them live, head here.