After watching hours of devastating news footage from Queensland floods, I wanted a pick-me-up. After looking at the cover of Heartbreak Club’s Our Horse is Dead, with its whipped My Little Pony-esque cartoon, I knew that album was just what I needed.
And so on an afternoon where so much is going wrong in the world outside, I lapped up Heartbreak Club’s feel-good blend of pop and punk. There’s a lot of artists blending those genres in the industry these days, but Heartbreak Club certainly creates tunes that are a cut above the rest. It’s really intelligent stuff, with a few literary references waiting for those willing to listen to a lyric, and an intriguing willingness to experiment with genre.
That eclecticism is hinted at in the opener “Are You Leaving Me?” Its boisterous brass called to mind old school ska bands like the Mighty Mighty Bosstones and They Might Be Giants. But Our Horse is Dead really hits its strides with “Viva La Mala Fortuna,” a rollicking, fist-pumping ball of sunshine and synthesisers.
From this point the album which was enjoyable, if a little run of the mill, really kicks in. Heartbreak Club begin to show us what they can do, displaying the originality and depth which separates them from their contemporaries. “Depths Unseen” is a real revelation, a quirky confession of love with stirring strings, brass, the works. If you’re going to profess such intense emotions, why not do it in grand style? The stripped back treatment and playful lyrics makes the endearing “Jeepers!” another highlight.
With Our Horse is Dead Heartbreak Club delivers an album which is always solid, and often great. Listening to it makes you feel good, but it’d be a mistake to dismiss these guys as just another formulaic pop-punk act.