The Hearts head out on a long, lonely ride in their reflective new roots ballad and video The Long Goodbye — premiering exclusively on Tinnitist.
The first preview and centerpiece of the Edmonton Americana sextet’s upcoming EP Traces, The Long Goodbye shares a title with a Raymond Chandler ’50s noir classic, but its sound is firmly anchored in the classic sound of ’60s and ’70s California folk-rock — complete with lush keyboards, gorgeous harmonies and a vibe that balances warmth and melancholia as beautifully as a late-summer sunset off the Malibu coast. If you want it all, you can have it — unlike the lovelorn protagonist who’ve lost sight of their love, their direction and themselves:
“El Dorado, once I knew you — you called me ‘angel’ on the radio
Now you look right through me, and all you see
Is just a stranger with a broken halo
I don’t recognize myself sometimes
Forget the colour of my own eyes
I don’t recognize myself sometimes, on this lonely ride.
Do you want it all?
It’s a long goodbye.”
It’s also a fine introduction to the rest of Traces, the band explain. “The Long Goodbye was built around a chord progression and form that our keyboard player composed,” they say in a press release. “We chose it as the first single because it ties together many of the musical themes that you’ll hear throughout the album, as well as many of the recurring lyrical concepts — how fragments of the larger story get lost over time, how details of memories (much like details of dreams) fade but remain as feelings, and what we humans must be missing out on amidst our inevitably unavailing quest for permanence.”
The Hearts — singer-guitarist and chief songwriter Jeff Stuart, keyboardist Dwayne Martineau, singer Lindsey Pratt, guitarist and steel player Gavin Dunn, bassist Christopher Quesnel and drummer Brad Tebble — deliver unforgettable melodies and moody harmonies that resonate at dive bars, soft seat theatres, and music festivals alike. Their heartfelt indie-folk and Americana songs are beautifully backlit by dreamy textures and earthy grooves. They’re revered for delivering an exciting live show where they trade, layer, and cohere splendidly — mixing equal parts glitter and grit.
Their many creative explorations and adventures include indie chart-topping releases, music featured in MTV and HBO productions, award nominations, and performances at popular festivals in Canada and abroad including SXSW, Edmonton Folk Fest, Calgary Folk Fest, Interstellar Rodeo and more.
Traces is due later this fall. For now, watch the video for The Long Goodbye above, hear more from The Hearts below, and say hello to them on their website, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
