For some, including me, Heart To Gold is a new band. However, on the evidence of ‘Free Help’, their third album, they’re a trio thriving having utilised time of the road to create a resonating and introspective set of songs.
Hailing from Minneapolis, Heart To Gold consists of vocalist and guitarist Grant Whiteoak, bassist Jim Kiser, and drummer Blake Kuether. Formed in 2017, they’ve been fine-tuning their brand of explosive melodic and emotive punk. However, ‘Free Help’ considerably sees them stepping up a gear, branching out to deliver a larger, anthemic sound. This is partly achieved through the help of Will Yip. Straight away, ‘Surrounded’ and ‘TNT’ both thrive on distorted guitars, an energetic rhythm section, and soaring melodies.
There’s no doubt that H2G have found their footing in delivering big, guitar-driven moments such as ‘Mother Falcon’ and the jangly bursts of ‘Mostly’. Yet it’s threaded together by Whiteoak’s introspective songwriting as he explores maturity and how the touring life has shaped him as a person. ‘Belonging (Slow)’ pulls this into sharp focus with its harmonious, stripped-back pacing and lyrically longing of uncertainty. Likewise, ‘Can’t Feel Me’, treads a narrative of experiencing the“highest of highs” and “lowest of lows” with melancholy seasoning and an overall powerful build. Later on, ‘Pandora’ melts with fuzzy guitars and lyrical uncertainty. Even when they’re not reining things in, ‘Get It Back’ sharply gallops, with its Midwest swaggering, maintains Grant’s self-doubts. Whereas ‘Blow Up The Spot’ sturdily thrives with Kuether’s punctuating drum work.
As a unit, Whiteoak, Kiser, and Kuether prove to be solid, and at times, versatile. The reflective narrative is complemented by a well-executed mix of melodic punk, arena rock, and 90s alt-rock. Closer, ‘#F’ dwells on ringing, drifting guitars, grounded percussion, and a steady bass line, brilliantly building to Whiteoak’s soaring note change, bringing a change of pace.
Whether this is your first time hearing Heart To Gold, or you’ve followed them for the past seven years, will find a lot to like about ‘Free Help‘. It has traces of a band comfortably expanding out from the lo-fi punk of 2022’s ‘Tom’, utilising their melodic flair and pairing it with an almost fearless execution. Simultaneously, the three-piece doesn’t sacrifice the sense of community they’ve built through their DIY mindset. This results in a satisfying album that deserves plenty of repeated listens.
‘Free Help’ by Heart To Gold is out now on Memory Music.
