SONG REVIEW: CRØSSED HEARTS - "ISOLATE"
by Ryan Porter
What happens when you get “Isolation” and Crossed Hearts in the same room? A pretty stellar track to say the least! Crossed Hearts is the latest band to dive into the nostalgia drawer and bring out something fans of the last twenty years of emo / post hardcore with strong catchy pop punk sensibilities can thrive in and enjoy, while bringing their own elements of raw energy and gritty determination to their song lyrics. The band’s debut track is a powerful line being drawn in the sand as they strive to leave their mark with their best foot put forward. Straight out the gate, let’s get into this and unpack what we got!
The track “Isolation” feels like a somber cry for help as the last two years of pandemic has definitely filled the souls of these musicians with a sense of reflection as they try to make sense of the world from captivity, the band’s music video showcasing a grindhouse VHS distorted mess as the two shred their souls for the world to see while contained in a sort of self medicated isolation. The track itself feels like a frenetic bombastic love letter to the band's influence, having those punchy fast paced drums that wouldn’t feel unfamiliar at a Taste Of Chaos or Warped Tour stage. It’s a welcome addition as bands attempt comebacks and the return of festivals somehow return us to any normalcy we can sink our teeth into, a track like this shows us we’re not so alone in our feelings of wanting a world to return from this isolating we’ve all endured.
The clean vocals are delivered in a saturated filter that feels in tune with the “crabcore” craze or even I See Stars, while the guttural crispy screams give me a definite A Static Lullaby frantic fry like energy which gives this track an all encompassing vibe that you can only find in band’s like If I Die First or SeeYouSpaceCowboy these days. It’s definitely refreshing to see this revival vibe worn on its sleeve as the band certainly has some nice hooks and a determined freshness to their sound which would be a welcome addition to any scene considering how wide the palette of genres are here. There’s an infectious bubbly pop nature beneath all the grime and growls, riffs are fast and the chorus aims to inch into your mind like the earworm it is! If you’re in need of a new tune to spin kick your pals in the circle pit to, this is definitely the track to do it to, you’d be insane not to after the first few spins!
The most admirable part of all of this is that this is a two piece band, unless you follow I Set My Friends On Fire logic and count the computer as a member, and considering Sky Eats Airplane used to, maybe they should? Masterfully mixed by Pete Zen, the two piece definitely is striving to capture the hearts and imagination of the scene blending genres and a fierce desire to captivate the listener’s attention. Don’t walk, run to the newest single released and treat yourself to this incendiary track “Isolation” now!