Saturday, November 26, 2022

Sino Hearts - Lightening the Darkness


One thing that frustrates me about doing this blog is that there's so much great music coming out that I just don't have the time to properly keep up with. For example, I've been sleeping for months on the latest album from Sino Hearts, which is by far the band's best release yet. So in the way of taking care of some unfinished business on this holiday weekend, I must offer a few words on Lightening the Darkness. I suppose you could call this Sino Hearts' "COVID" album. It was recorded during lockdowns in Beijing from 2020-21. And while the songs aren't necessarily about the pandemic, you can sense the darker feel in the lyrics and even some of the music. Like all of us, songwriter/lead singer Zhong lived through this time when isolation, fear, and an overwhelming sense of restriction took hold. Consequently, Lightening the Darkness is reflective of the times in which it was created. It cuts deeper than previous releases without losing the catchy hooks. 

As the title suggests, this is far from a gloomy album. There's light and dark in these songs, and ultimately Zhong and his band mates don't stray that far from their signature power pop punk style. But on this album, you can hear Sino Hearts broadening their sound and pulling in influences ranging from classic post-punk to modern indie rock. This gives the album a mellower feel at times, yet Zhong's flair for tuneful melodies has never been stronger. This is by far Zhong's best batch of songs. And the production (the album was mixed and mastered in Bergamo, Italy by Bruno Barcella and Riccardo Zamboni) is absolutely spectacular. You could view Lightening the Darkness as a departure from its predecessors, but I prefer to think of it as the album where Sino Hearts fully come into their own. From the modern, melodious strains of "Passing Shades" to the warm power pop of "Stranglehold on My Heart" to the straight-up power pop rock and roll of "Falling Out of Love" to the snappy pop of "Commotion of Love" to the vaguely Weezer-ish "2020," this release is packed with top-notch tunes. I know I'm several months late to the party on this one, but I knew I couldn't start drafting my top albums of 2022 list without placing Lightening the Darkness into consideration. It's still available in the U.S. from Otitis Media Records and in Europe from Topsy Turvy/Soundflat Records.

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