Heavenly – “Le Jardin De Heavenly” (Released 12th May 2023)

Description

//Skep Wax Records//

£21.99 – 1xLP

The songs on the album are rich with pop melodies and complex harmonies but the band aren’t holding back – Mathew’s drumming is intense; Peter’s guitar flourishes are sharp-edged and loud. There are still elements of the gentler twee sound that had become the band’s hallmark (or curse): Different Day and So Little Deserve are winsome, delicate pop songs. But there are also swirls of early shoegaze – Starshy is a dreamy, atmospheric confection heavy with reverb and harmony. And there’s a defiant attitude in there too: I’m Not Scared Of You is the sound of a young woman refusing to be cowed by a male bully. It’s not hard to see how Heavenly ended up as part of the riot grrrl scene in the US (an encounter that would have a profound influence on the band’s later output). At the heart of the album, ‘C Is The Heavenly Option’ feels like a perfect celebration of Heavenly’s transatlantic existence, and the marriage of two indie traditions: Amelia’s English pop voice duets with Calvin Johnson’s gravelly American baritone while the band alternate between cute melody and all-out thrash. It’s a joyous combination.

Tracklisting:

SIDE A

1 Starshy
2 Tool
3 Orange Corduroy Dress
4 Different Day
5 C Is The Heavenly Option
6 Smile

SIDE B

1 And The Birds Aren’t Singing
2 Sort of Mine
3 So Little Deserve
4 I’m Not Scared Of You
5 She Says
6 Escort Crash On Marston Street