HARTHEIM

‘When Did Your Last Rose Die?’ is an ambitious, commanding and keenly intelligent track. Above all else, it’s a bold statement of intent from a band who are only just preparing for their first headline show and the release of their debut EP.

As a riposte to the classic love ballad, Emerson’s howled words chart a charged episode of despair, as “young, boundless lust” eventually segues into “middle-aged hatred”.

It’s all very cathartic, which is a feeling not lost on their sound, bearing as it does a strikingly atmospheric and overwrought character. In a similar way to Manchester contemporaries Wu Lyf, Hartheim transfix the listener with the unceasing apprehension of frenzied explosions of pent-up frustration.

Ultimately, on this evidence, Hartheim are a band who clearly take themselves seriously; it’s about time we do the same.

Words by Chris Haywood

Tipped by Ariane from WhiteTapes