Album Review: Eat Your Heart Out - 'Florescence'

Out of many bands on the rise in the alternative and pop-punk music scenes, Eat Your Heart Out have stood out in my mind for quite some time now. The Australia-based quintet’s sound has nicely evolved over time with each subsequent release, from the more pop-punk influences heard on their stellar three-track EP 'Carried Away' ('Patience' is still a banger), to the minor-leaning, darker-tinged cuts found on 2015 EP 'Distance Between Us' and most recent EP, 2017’s 'Mind Games'. The rising Aussie band returned last month with their debut LP, 'Florescence', which continues their sonic trend; bringing all of their sounds and ideas together.

Half of Eat Your Heart Out's new record shows the darker, minor-key side of the band’s sound. 'Carousel' puts that front and centre instantly in its intro, beginning with a softer feel and cleaner guitars, before the rockier instrumentals kick right in. The melodies delivered from vocalist Caitlin Henry are as dark as the remaining instrumentation, with a highly memorable structure and delivery - no wonder it was the choice for the records lead single. 'Constellations' is of a similar pedigree; the melodies are intriguing and match well with the darker mood of the song, yet all the while remaining catchy and forward-driven. The moodier  guitars found on 'Nowhere' follows a similar vein to that of 'Carousel', as well as its huge chorus with powerful vocal and instrumental performances. The chorus for 'Same Stars' grabbed my attention just as much, for the very same reasons. 

While all of these previously mentioned tracks are a lot darker musically, 'Daydream' is really where the lyrics turn toward a more negative mindset, touching upon topics of mental health and how one's anxiety and emotional distance can affect those around them. Lyrics of someone searching for understanding in those around them are dolled out with lines such as “I’m just not myself today” and “Forgive my vacancy, I’m not where I should be/Forgive my vacancy, I’ll come back eventually”; fine examples of this album's pleading lyricism from Caitlin and her personal mental and emotional growth as a young woman of late. 

'Blinded' and 'Spinning' lean more towards the pop-punk side of things, with the compositions contrasting from the opposite end of the tonal spectrum. Both songs are backed up by these extremely hooky choruses, and the drumming really goes all in on the bridge of 'Blinded'. 'Closer To The Sun' is easily one of the biggest standout tracks, showing what could arguably be the band’s most aggressive track to date, donning a 90's rock hat and big riffs. The screaming, bending guitars during the intro and first verse, along with the tight and pumping drums and bass in the second verse both bring so much energy to the track's pacing. Between those instrumentals and Caitlin's angrier, shouted vocals, the song displays far more punk rock influences too, rather than pop-punk or alt-rock. I also personally feel that this is a track that Patrick Miranda (vocalist for Movements, one of this records producers) more than likely had a large influence over, in terms of sound and direction.

'Heavy With Envy', another favourite track of mine, combines everything heard on this album and condenses it down into a singular song, from the eerie, captivating intro, to the energetic, pop-punk influenced second verse. EYHO also slows things down somewhat for a couple of ballads, yet either ballad stands out from each other and fit very well into the record's over-arching vibe. 'Pear Tree' is the more laid back one of the pair, with lighter vocal melodies and harmonies that match the acoustic guitar driving the track along. Closer 'Cold Hands' on the other hand, while starting out quieter, quickly becomes a harder hitting ballad with passionate performances, both vocally and instrumentally, lending more dynamic weight to the band's songwriting.

'Florescence' incorporates many of the elements found in everything that Eat Your Heart Out has tried up to this point, while still leaving room for some added experimentation. The LP's mixture of pop-punk and alternative rock influences makes it stand out in both of those genres and scenes. This is a band trying harder and attempting more than just the usual major keys and four-chords than what so many other pop-punk acts today do. In fact, this first full-length as a whole is just further proof as to why Eat Your Heart Out are an outlier for these kinds of music scenes right now; thick Australian accent and all. 

1. Carousel
2. Spinning
3. Daydream
4. Heavy With Envy
5. Constellations
6. Closer To The Sun
7. Blinded
8. Same Stars
9. Nowhere
10. Pear Tree
11. Cold Hands

'Florescence' is out now.