Review of Have Heart - Songs to Scream at the Sun

Much like label mates Verse, Boston’s Have Heart play a form of modern melodic hardcore, but where Verse came across as more introspective and varied, Have Heart, while still emotional and honest, have a more expected, tighter and angrier, typical hardcore delivery, though still impassioned and honest.

More traditionally based around rousing power chords and layered melodies, Bane and Comeback Kid are reasonable comparisons, and armed with a Kurt Ballou production the overall sound is grittier and sharper than Verse. Still, Have Heart have the same levels of passion and personal angst and do occasionally veer into slower, more controlled moments of anthemic power like the last moments of “On A Bird, In a Cage”, “Brotherly Love”, interlude “Reflections”. It’s not quite as evocative as Verse, as for the most part, Songs is your typical, rousing contemporary, punk fueled hardcore affair littered with mid paced fury, gang chants and melody (“The Same Son”, “Bostons”, “No Roses, No Skies”, “The Taste of the Floor”, “Hard Bark On The Family Tree”, “The Same Sun”)

Of note is the gravelly delivery of vocalist Patrick Flynn, whose gritted teeth growls and shouts seem generally personal and the conceptual lyrics about growing up and coming of age of a young boy are a refreshing change from the usual chest pounding machismo and scene scoring anthems of unity and brotherhood blah, blah, blah.

Another above average release from Bridge Nine and another hardcore releases that sits atop 2008s impressive heap.