Shows

M83 broke into the indie scene in a big way last year (check out the Top 10 Breakout Artists of 2011) and ever since there’s been a slew of epic chillwave bands popping up around them, riding their sprawling wave. I Break Horses, with their only LP release Hearts (released two months prior to M83′s Hurry Up We’re Dreaming I might add) have been an integral part of shaping this budding genre. But, how long can you producing landscape-inducing melodies until they become over-gimmicky? The answer lies within the soul of the music, the feel of the performance.

Hearts starts off with a one-two punch by the likes of “Winter Beats” and “Hearts”. The longing melody line fits well with the nearly incoherent lyrics, causing a happy reminiscence of a long-lost lover or friend. Maria Lindén’s beautiful voice snakes along the deserted landscape of her and Fredrik Balck’s – the second piece of this Swedish duo – vivid imagination. Celestial synth lines float overhead, forming endless galaxies in your mind. Just like that, the album’s third track “Wired” throws you up into the sky with a Foster the People-esque drumming intonation – featuring the kind of rolling rhythmic beat Foster would appreciate. In “Pulse” Linen’s voice becomes twice as ethereal with heavy reverberation while a oscillating beat matches a steady heartbeat throughout the song and – frankly – the  entire album.

Hearts has other nuggets on it carrying these main themes all the way through. The themes – rather than lying in the lyrics – lie in the tone and texture of the other musical parts. The voice comes from an obvious place of yearning – as if you’re floating in space, enjoying the vast galaxies but you’re tied to Earth – reminding you that you’ll always miss home. Although the instrumentation stays pretty constant (synth, drums, little guitar, Linden’s voice) there isn’t a repetitive air about the album. Each track is a new dimension, a new elaboration on the core idea, the heart.

Give a few tracks from Hearts a listen, but – like many albums – a full, track-by-track listen through will help let this chillwave flow right through you.

Winter Beats – I Break Horses

Hearts – I Break Horses