Tag: Warm Hearts Cold Hands

YEAR END! – Top Twenty Records Of 2013

albumgrid

  • Laura Stevenson – “Wheel”
  • Football, etc – “Audible”
  • The World Is A Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid To Die – “Whenever, If Ever”
  • Waxahatchee – “Cerulean Salt”
  • Nona – “Through The Head”
  • Lord Snow – “Solitude”
  • Save Ends – “Warm Hearts, Cold Hands”
  • Pity Sex – “Feast Of Love”
  • American Thunder Band – “Neither Here Nor Thayer”
  • Tiny Moving Parts – “This Couch Is Long & Full Of Friendship”
  • Lemuria – “The Distance Is So Big”
  • Dowsing – “I Don’t Even Care Anymore”
  • Belgrade – “Belgrade”
  • RVIVR – “The Beauty Between”
  • State Faults – “Resonate/Desperate”
  • Little Big League – “These Are Good People”
  • Mutual Benefit – “Love’s Crushing Diamond”
  • Rika – “How To Draw A River, Step By Step”
  • Radiator Hospital – “Something Wild”
  • Our Sunday Affairs – “Cave”

REVIEW: Save Ends – “Warm Hearts, Cold Hands”

REVIEW: Save Ends – "Warm Hearts, Cold Hands"

Finally, a Save Ends full length! This band impressed me from the first time I heard them back in 2010 or 2011. I’ve been anxiously waiting for this record for some time. That said, is the LP everything I’ve been hoping for? Was it worth the wait? The answer to both questions is yes. Save Ends have done a lot in a short time via two self released EPs. Ten Or Better showed a band with a lot of promise. Strength vs. Will showed a band right on the cusp. Now, on their debut LP, they are a band who made good.

Warm Hearts, Cold Hands is a great record from the start. “PunkORama 30” may be one of the best album openers. It builds up for about a minute into a great pay off. It exemplifies the band’s best trait. Namely, their ability to make poppy, melodic punk rock songs that are more than they seem. They write songs that can go from calm to driving at the drop of a hat. There are obvious indie rock influences that add a great texture. With guitars that shine through, and drums that drive home the point, they show that they aren’t fucking around from the get-go. They continue to prove it throughout the next half hour.

The dual vocals are another great part of this band’s arsenal. Christine Atturio and Brendan Cahill have an excellent give and take. They are able to split and share a song, but are also able to carry a song on their own. It’s easy to use dual vocals as a crutch, but that’s not the case here. “Always Knew” and “Kurzweil” are great example of songs primarily carried by one vocalist. “Skeptical Sons / Curious Daughters” and “Same Old Dice” are great examples of the shared vocals. Both work so well.

It’s easy to be jaded about punk rock. Sometime it feels like a lot of bands are just going through the motions. Save Ends show that there is still so much life left. I say that with absolutely no hyperbole. There is a lot of heart and depth to these songs. This type of music has been missing that lately, so it’s great to see. Warm Hearts, Cold Hands is a testament to what can be made when a band loves what they do. It’s been nice seeing this band grow. If anything, I’m even more excited about them now.