The Head and the Heart - The Head and the Heart (2011)

The Head and the Heart - The Head and the Heart (2011)


1. Cats and Dogs (1:55)
2. Coeur D'Alene (4:22)
3. Ghosts (4:18)
4. Down in the Valley (5:03)
5. Rivers and Roads (4:44)
6. Honey Come Home (3:21)
7. Lost in My Mind (4:19)
8. Winter Song (2:43)
9. Sounds like Hallelujah (3:10)
10. Heaven Go Easy on Me (5:40)




The self-titled debut album by indie-folk pop band The Head and the Heart has 10 tracks, and each of them are spectacular. Though the band's ambiance is light and breezy, the material is quite deep and sometimes even morbid, but sung in a very optimistic and heartfelt tone by lead singer Josiah Johnson. His voice is, for lack of a better word, very pleasant to listen to.

Johnson, Thielen, Jonathan Russell,
Chris Zasche, Kenny Hensley and Tyler
Williams of the Head and the Heart.

The band has six members, including Johnson, and the lone female member Charity Rose Thielen contributes vocals on a couple tracks, including Rivers and Roads, adding a nice blend. The album begins strong, and I love the segue between the last minute of Coeur D'Alene into Ghosts. It really sets the tone for the rest of the album.

The songs are not only deep in meaning, but composition as well. Just when you think a song is following a basic scheme, it evolves into a much denser and elaborate track. A very musically in-sync group, many of the tracks even incorporate humming, rather than actual lyrics, which only serve to enhance the overall product. The music is as smooth as can be -- just give it a listen and find out for yourself.

Favorite tracks: It would be easy to say "all of them," but my personal favorites are Lost in My Mind and Down in the Valley. They are just so easygoing and simple and you can really feel the vulnerability and human element in the lyrics. Honey Come Home is also a beautiful song about being in love.