Renee Heartfelt

Item: Magdalene
Author: Luke Kruse

Magdalene

(2004)

Reviewed by Luke Kruse

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Label Limekiln RecordsDecapolisNovember 2004

emo hardcore post-hardcore

Renee Heartfelt? For some reason the name of this band brought to mind what I figured would be a cheesy pop-punk album. I mean, come on, is there really no better name for a band left out there than Renee Heartfelt? Thankfully, the debut EP from this post-hardcore band from the East Coast proved to be substantially better than their moniker would suggest.

The Magdalene EP sets out to give the listener five quality post-hardcore songs in the vein of bands like Quicksand, or more recently, Sparta. If you like either of those bands, you will no doubt find Renee Heartfelt to be right up your alley. The press bio makes it sound like Renee Heartfelt is some sort of super group, made up of members of east coast hardcore favorites Give up the Ghost, Striking Distance, and Count Me Out. While none of these parent bands are overly familiar to me, perhaps they could mean something to those more in-tune to the hardcore scene.

There is certainly no complaint with the proficiency with which the band plays their brand of post-hardcore. The guitars pulsate, swirl and crunch when they should, the drums build toward a crescendo, and the bass lines, while not really standing out, give a strong sense of rhythm to the songs. Vocally, singer/guitarist Pete Appleby sings in an appropriately powerful voice. None of that high whiny stuff, or unnecessary agro screaming. The lyrics are also adequate. It seems mostly directed at the heartache and feelings of mistrust that come along with the end of a long-term relationship. While familiar in subject, the band does not resort to Dashboard Confessional cliches, but more metaphors like, "Like a river cuts the earth beneath my feet in two you can't replace the years I lost to you."

It has been established that Renee Heartfelt is good at what they do. However, I don't necessarily feel excited when I listen to this record. If this was more than EP length, I would probably find myself getting somewhat bored. This is a solid debut EP though, and I think it could be a record that grows on me more as I listen to it.

2.5/4