The Head and the Heart - "Let's Be Still" Album Review

Sophomore albums can be fraught with peril as artists strive to thread the needle between replicating past successes and redundancy. For the Head and the Heart, following a whirlwind unknown-to-indie-darlings debut, their next step would be examined especially closely.

Recorded in their hometown Seattle, Let’s Be Still accomplishes the rare feat of recapturing what made their self-titled debut memorable, while still moving the band forward in interesting directions.

Let’s Be Still opens strongly with “Homecoming Heroes” and “Another Story” capably striking the sweet spot between folksy and familiar. The band sounds full, polished and ready to take their folk-pop sound to huge stages.

The bright, flowery “Springtime” smartly transitions into the lovelorn “Summertime” before the live-show staple “Josh McBride” kicks things up again. The album’s back-half is a bit slower, with the title track and somewhat-psychedelic “10,000 Weight in Gold” leaving enough space for both sweet harmonies and wistful reflection. The record closes with “Gone”, a resolute (and knowing) number that leaves the listener confident in the band’s next step - whatever that may sound like, wherever that may be.

Overall, the record is perfectly pleasant upon initial listening, but its when you let the sounds sink in, the storytelling and nuance fully come to life and you are left with another great record. Let’s be still and enjoy.

Let's Be still is on itunes and in stores everywhere!

Please enjoy our exclusive photos taken in the recording studio during the making of "Let's Be Still"

Words // Brian Hodge

Photos // Adam Richert