Rating: NNN
On first listen, Toronto’s Heartbeat Hotel sound like yet another shoegaze revival band. (Strange how quickly that became a crowded field.) But play it a few more times and you can hear that they’re not only about whispered vocals, heavily processed guitars and waves of echoes there are also references to 60s pop, indie folk, ambient electronic music and even some unexpected nods to dance rock.
[rssbreak]
While that eclecticism is generally a good thing, it’s also what’s holding this album back. It has lots of interesting moments, and none of the tangents fail, but it’s hard to get a sense of who these guys actually are. Fetus Dreams feels less like an album and more like a compilation of studio experiments. Nevertheless, it definitely shows a lot of promise, and we’re looking forward to hearing what they do once they get a better handle on their identity as a band.
Top track: The Hello Barrel
Heartbeat Hotel play the Piston tonight (Thursday, June 3).
