Heart & Lung released their debut in 2017, then Red Scare reissued it last year, putting it on my radar. The band is from Cleveland, OH, playing melodic pop-punk with gruff moments. While the debut was fairly call-and-response in song structure, Twistin’ The Knife Away mixes up the songwriting quite a bit throughout its 11 songs. And, as that title suggests, it’s sometimes lyrically brutal: exposing ugly truths.
A few things strike me about this record. First, it’s the songwriting maturity. Call-and-response is cool, but it gets old over a full-length record. There’s more variety here, recalling the Descendents and fellow Midwestern punks The Copyrights’ melodic focus instead of that back-and-forth action. There are still vocal tradeoffs, but they’re built around the melody. That noted, it’s still aggressive and pointed. It’s angrier, even when the band has you singing along like it’s bubblegum. And while it’s pop in structure, it’s not limited to three chords. I hear more guitar flourish, akin to contemporary bands like Iron Chic and PUP that give more depth without drowning the message -- but it’s subtle, meeting in the middle between styles. Twistin’ The Knife Away is extremely balanced, which is kind of ironic since most of the songs are about how our own world lacks such a thing.
It’s so consistent I have trouble picking obvious standouts to single out to describe in depth. There are multiple songs about love and heartache, but with a tougher edge to counter the misery. “Punk Posters” is a niche metaphor for a breakup: one I can relate with and I bet most readers can too. “Shit Together,” (besides having a hilarious out-of-context double meaning) is a pop song at heart that’s about vulnerability, but it’s not saccharine or balladry -- it's blunt and ragged. Meanwhile, “I’m Fine” rips the rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle a new one (and has a delightfully Midwestern title). It’s not perfect -- a few songs fade into the background, but it’s still really good overall.
My conclusion: this is working-class pop-punk. It has all those great singalong moments and cathartic highs of pop. But at its core, it’s about fighting and kinda-sorta overcoming the relentless lows. Instead of celebrating indulgence, it explores hardship in resilient fashion. We all have our struggles. Through music like Twistin’ The Knife Away we can cope together.
