Desert Hearts – Hotsy Totsy Nagasaki

(Gargleblast/No Dancing)

Desert Hearts were always a band that showed the potential to make a fine record, but now they’ve delivered such a complete work, it’s come somewhat of a surprise. From seeing them live a couple times a few years back, I expected them to fall by the wayside like peers Torgas Valley Reds or Guided*. Sometimes it just doesn’t work, and sometimes it just takes time.

It’s worth noting the murky cover art is made up of Prometheus, an inner satellite of Saturn, officially named after a Titan in Greek mythology, the rebel god who in defiance of Zeus, gave fire and other comforts to the mortals on the Earth. Alongside there is a map of Rhea, the largest of Saturn’s medium-sized icy moons. Features on Rhea are named for people and places from creation myths around the world. This isn’t an astrology lesson, for there’s power held within the jewel case, for us mortals: you and I.

The record opens on ‘D Moon Pilot’ with a bassline which ensnares and a creeping guitar riff with Charley delivering sincere, solemn vocals, huskily supported by Roisin. And crash…we’ve entered a spiralling storm of rising guitar and furious drums in ‘Sea Punk’. The urgency lets up for a moment on ‘Gravitas’, surely the most sublime track on the LP, with Charley’s ghostly lyrics reciting what could only be a suicide note with an ending displaying his loved one’s deepest despair.

On ‘Central Line’ the momentum rises again with the chase ensuing and shows Desert Hearts at their most accessible since releasing ‘Ocean’ as a 7”, (a catchy track with Roisin showing she can take the lead). Whereas on the mood-changing ‘Urchin’, Charley croons “We’ve come a long way my girl”, and well he might. Light and darkness flit through with beautiful cello, trumpet and choir accompanying parts which delivers such a powerful sincerity on this and the other haunting tracks of ‘Hotsy…’

The album closes with the title track, revealing honestly “My Hearts Not In It / And I Don’t Know Why / I Feel Like An Idiot / With A Tear In My Eye”. The phone rings. No-one answers. The story has unfolded and he’s let go.

It’s taken a while, but Desert Hearts finally deliver on the question posed in the opening track, “How do you make a beautiful picture?” They’ve shown us something we can relate to- sadness, insecurity, maybe even depression but still holding onto that hope.

Someone will break down to this album, and then pick themselves up new again.

BURN
Gravitas
Central Line
Ocean
Black Albino
BROWSE
Desert Hearts MySpace (MP3 downloads available)
‘Central Line’ video on MySpace
BUY
Hotsy Totsy Nagasaki on NoDancing.co.uk

Words by Eddie Mullan