Staff Reviews

The Head and the Heart - Let's Be Still

Review by Joe Goggins

It's soft-folk. There are banjos. And yet, there’s still something unshakably likeable about The Head and the Heart; they don’t give off the same air of charlatanism that’s so obvious in plenty of their peers.»

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It wasn't that long ago that the six members of The Head And The Heart were playing on Seattle street corners attempting to attract the attention of passersby. Virginia native Jonathan Russell and California transplant Josiah Johnson formed the core songwriting partnership, which was rounded out by drummer Tyler Williams, keyboardist Kenny Hensley, vocalist/violinist Charity Rose Thielen and bassist Chris Zasche. That unbridled energy informed their debut album for hometown label Sub Pop, becoming one of the label's best-selling debut releases. The now-seasoned group finds a few new ways to elaborate on its makeout-ready mountain music with 'Let's Be still'. The band pads its juke-hall country with Roxy Music synths on "Summer Time," and "Homecoming Heroes" has a bit of Elliott Smith's major-to-minor chord quirks. Some tracks, such as "Shake," hew a little close to their original formula while a song like "Cruel" has a clear melody and strong enough delivery to almost make a play at mainstream country radio.
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