These Hearts – Music Review

These Hearts

“Forever Ended Yesterday”

Release Date: 6/21/11

About These Hearts

In a time when an infinite amount of genres seem to be concocted daily, it takes quite a bit of creativity to blur the lines across so many. These Hearts understand that it takes that dash of ingenuity paired with an innate desire to put forth the hard work that comes along with being a band in this day and age.

Among a sea of like-sounding music, These Hearts have raised the bar and then some by bringing a fresh, upbeat rock sound to ears everywhere in strong conjunction with a meaningful, church-based upbringing that has everything to do with the quintet’s musical and writing process. The band’s unquestionable commitment to their faith in Christ is present in all aspects of their musical journey. With an urgency to declare to fans, friends and family that “they are loved, and there is hope,” These Hearts demonstrate the ever-present effect that faith plays in the group’s life.

While it’s understood that hardships are an unavoidable bump in the road, These Hearts note that they solely rely on their faith for guidance. “Whether it’s the loss of a loved one, a previous band member leaving, or even being in financial trouble, friendship and having Jesus in our lives has played a pivotal role in getting us through these tough times,” says guitarist Daryl Van Been.

The group has certainly put their own blood, sweat, and tears into creating and sharing their music with the masses. “Being in a band is about the most unstable job you can have but we want to glorify God with the gifts that he has blessed us with,” says Van Been. Impressively touring across the US while unsigned, they performed with notable acts such as MXPX, Bouncing Souls, The Devil Wears Prada, Silverstein, and Four Letter Lie, and selling over 3,000 copies of their self-produced EP Mistakes and Second Takes on their own gives some insight into the band’s dedication to their craft.

These Hearts was formed in August of 2007 by way of Fargo, ND. Consisting of Ryan Saunders on vocals, Isaiah Folk on drums, Kyle Colby and Daryl Van Beek on guitars, and Tyler Rice on bass, the band began playing shows in October and quickly began establishing a name for themselves in the upper Midwest.

The Christian, post-hardcore group has no intention of slowing down any time soon; recently signing to the legendary Victory Records, These Hearts will release their debut album Forever Ended Yesterday, produced by Craig Owens (Chiodos), on June 21st. These Hearts have graced the stages at festivals like Cornerstone, Agape, Ichthus, and Sonshine, and it will be hard to miss the band out spreading their positivity and faith-based values to the world in the coming year, as they intend to continue touring and playing music for fans new and old.

MY REVIEW:

Up until now, I have mostly listened to Christian rock when my kids play it for me. Some I like, Some I don’t like. I can say I haven’t listened to any screamo before. Well, ok, I guess I have listened to it for the 2 seconds it takes me to turn it off.

These Hearts are classified as Christian Rock/Screamo. If you’ve never heard the term Screamo before, it just means they scream a lot. lol

I have to say I did enjoy some of these songs. There is a range to them. They are not all loud screaming. I am not a musician. Well, unless you count clarinet in the 5th grade. lol I, however, thought the guitar work in some of these songs was amazing. The drums were pretty cool, too.

Do I wish they screamed less? Yes, but that’s just my style. Their style is rock and screamo. Nothing wrong with different styles. And it’s good for us to expand our horizons sometimes, and listen to music that we don’t normally listen to. Plus, I can now talk about it with my teenage and young adult children.

Here are a few links:

These Hearts on Facebook
These Hearts on Myspace
These Hearts on Amazon (not my affiliate link)

There are These Hearts videos on YouTube. I, however, can not link to them as some of the comments are really bad. So, if you do look them up, please, don’t read the comments!

If you, or your teens, like Christian Rock and/or Screamo, I suggest listening to These Hearts. You just might find some new favorite songs.

*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. I received one CD w/ paper case for review purposes. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”