It’s encouraging to see the increased interest in Hell Is For Heroes, particularly when they spent most of the 2000s seemingly overshadowed by Hundred Reasons’ bigger presence in UK post-hardcore. More than that though, that goodwill has seemingly spilt over onto vocalist Justin Schlosberg’s solo project August Spies, pivoting in a direction heavily inspired by lush, layered electronica and indie-rock.
Naturally, the final product is a very different beast than Hell Is For Heroes, but Schlosberg can actually pull it off rather well, and for a debut EP, ’Corruption Of The Human Heart’ has quite a lot to dig into. For one, the transition to this slower, more tentative brand of music has come surprisingly easily, founded on beds of pianos and strings that build in a suitably methodical way. Thrills are rather minimal overall, but the swirling, warping knock of ’This Is How It Ends’ and the icy, poised piano of ’You Killed My Love’ show a much greater focus on robust composition that’s much more interesting.
Granted, the slow burn won’t be for everyone, and Schlosberg’s broader, less nuanced vocals can occasionally feel a bit too stark amidst material this focused mood and atmosphere. If anything, it can feel reminiscent of an artist like Nick Cave as a creeping, sonorous presence among a canvas that’s a lot more delicate. Of course, a direct comparison might be pushing it but ’Corruption Of The Human Heart’ does give off that vibe, and moving closer to that territory wouldn’t be out of the question with a bit more refinement.
Right now though, it’s easy to tell that August Spies is a side-project, particularly in its off-kilter nature that’s playing to distinctly personal interests for Schlosberg. But even so, ’Corruption Of The Human Heart’ is a consistently interesting and thought-provoking listen that’s definitely left room to grow. Regardless of how much Schlosberg feels fit to release under this moniker, to see what happens next could be potentially fascinating.
3.5/5
‘Corruption Of The Human Heart’ by August Spies is out now.
August Spies links: Website | Facebook | Twitter
Words by Luke Nuttall (@nuttall_luke)
