Harts
Smoke Fire Hope Desire
Reviewed by: Lauren Rosier
Australian multi-talented musician, Harts, drops his U.S. debut album today, Smoke Fire Hope Desire (Washington Square/Razor & Tie), and he’s the epitome of an artist to watch for 2017.
Harts first introduced himself with his catchy debut single, “Peculiar”, that just oozes summertime vibes. It not only features his incredible vocal range and musicianship, but also spotlights his irresistible melodies paired with lyrics that are easy to sing along to.
Despite the infectious nature of “Peculiar”, don’t overlook the rest of the record. Smoke Fire Hope Desire is an extraordinary listening experience from top to bottom. Harts does not wait to engage the listener and immediately makes you want to dance with his sick bass lines, infectious dance grooves, and soulful vocals, which is immediately apparent in the record’s introduction, “Smoke.”
The catchy dance grooves, electric guitar, and heavy bass lines continue on “Fear In Me”, a super funky track (think a more pop/R&B-oriented version of Philly’s own Modern Colour and commercial radio giant, Twenty One Pilots).
The party continues on “All Rise”, in which Harts channels old-school pop, soul, and R&B/dance vibes, while still clearly maintaining his own sound. The opening sounds of the brass section add some allure to the already highly energetic track.
Even the interlude, “Fire”, screams of the late legendary artist.
On “Hope”, Harts crafts an incredible pop song through his positive lyricism (“Some of us / won’t know our dreams / as we walk this Earth / while others discourage / they laugh in our faces / they don’t understand / what we can achieve / with a little bit of hope…”) layered over killer hip-hop beats, explosive electric guitars, and elegant strings.
Harts changes gears on “Unfamiliar” and reveals his sensual, tender side through the sexy bass lines.
On “Realize”, his insightful lyricism is displayed (“the world don’t wait for you / don’t wait for me / it don’t sympathize”).
There are so many layers to this record and so many reasons why Harts should be massively successful in the U.S. Between his great vocal range, infectious beats, and lyrics, Harts is the new generation of pop music – a blend of pop, soul, R&B, rock, and dance – an artist that has developed an engaging, high energy sound with well-deserved comparisons to the likes of Prince and Bruno Mars.
Rating: Iconic
