All I knew about Haerts at first was that they had spelled their band name wrong–which, if nothing else, is a good way to make sure you’re not using a name someone else has already claimed. But once I got around to hearing their debut single, “Wings,” I started paying a lot more attention to them.
All I knew about Haerts at first was that they had spelled their band name wrong–which, if nothing else, is a good way to make sure you’re not using a name someone else has already claimed. But once I got around to hearing their debut single, “Wings,” I started paying a lot more attention to them. A quintet that formed and currently resides in New York City, Haerts brings together members who originally hail from Germany, France, and elsewhere in the US. Their sound doesn’t boldly announce itself upon first listen, but their excellent tunes will nonetheless sneak up on you, as “Wings” proves. Combining layers of acoustic and electric guitars with smooth keyboards, the song builds an evocative melodic framework over which Nini Fabi’s excellent vocals communicate a wealth of emotion, mostly of a wistful and melancholy nature.
The song is produced by St. Lucia, who knocked us out last year with their excellent single, “We Got It Wrong,” and “Wings” follows in that tune’s footsteps to some extent. But while “We Got It Wrong” was kind of upbeat, “Wings” is subtly heartbreaking, and its video only emphasizes that fact–though it doesn’t seem like it will at first. Instead, the 8mm footage from which its constructed seems like a hazy instagram memory of a childhood two decades old, blending stock family encounters with touristy visits to parks and aquariums. But there is a narrative here, and the video resonates on a much deeper level if you’re paying enough attention to it.
Haerts don’t have an album out yet, though it’s supposedly arriving later this year, but you can get “Wings” on a 7 inch vinyl single from Neon Gold Records by clicking HERE. More importantly, they’ll be playing right here in Richmond next week, opening for Atlas Genius and Pacific Air at The Canal Club (1545 E. Cary St.) on Wednesday June 12. Tickets for that show are $10 in advance and can be ordered by clicking HERE. Between the opening set by these guys and Atlas Genius’s raging live show, this one should be well worth your time and money, so don’t blow it!
By Andrew Necci
