A Very Special Episode - "Fix Your Hearts Or Die"
Brooklyn’s A Very Special Episode spent a considerable amount of time nurturing their first full-length, Fix Your Hearts Or Die. That may seem like an odd way to describe the creative process behind making a record, but in this instance, it’s the most appropriate descriptor for the level of care and attention that the trio gave to developing this eleven-song collection. They carefully plot a sonic journey, setting the guideposts along the way, and weave in messaging through words and sounds that evoke intense feelings of fear, desperation, and panic. It’s not for the faint of heart, but if you’re up for an engrossing, transportive experience, then Fix Your Hearts Or Die will carry you off into a world of the trio’s own making.
The tracks on Fix Your Hearts Or Die fall into two broad categories. Though that’s most definitely an oversimplification, it does help to understand the overall tenor of the record and how the trio fits each sonic puzzle piece together. The album is made up of anchoring songs, many of which you may be familiar with as previously released singles, including “Cowboy” and “Introspectre,” and great album cuts like “Hollow” and “Weather The Storm.” Here, frontperson Kasey is fearless, letting her voice and message blend with the textural instrumentation, as her words wear the mood of the music. These songs are akin to deeper cuts from Sonic Youth’s Sister or EVOL and other Kim Gordon creations heard on No Home Record - gritty and dissonant, and rocking, but still quite melodic, and thematically, traverse into the eerie and at times, supernatural. “New Coke” serves as a prime example of what the trio is going for. It’s a harrowing and captivating track, progressing from a foreboding quietness to a furious, full-band assault.
For some reason, A Very Special Episode never really gets compared to Sonic Youth (well, I just did in the previous paragraph), but the similarities are definitely there, especially on the noisier instrumental tracks that are strategically peppered across the Fix Your Hearts Or Die. These songs, which are largely instrumentals, serve as the sensory connecting fibers, using dissonant noise and sound collage to string together the aforementioned songs. They’re gruff and noisy, creating an ominous atmosphere through an abundance of guitar distortion and bombardments of intense, droning noise. The way the “Fire Walk With Me” segues into “Introspectre” is a good example of how the band creates a real sense of urgency that flows through the veins of this record. The former is brooding with a pulsing rhythm that reflects its Lynchian namesake and perfectly transitions into the latter, a spirited and haunting meditation on the unknown. It’s one leg of the extended trek that is Fix Your Hearts Or Die. Buckle up.
Stream the album below!
You can purchase Fix Your Hearts Or Die on vinyl via Bandcamp. The album is also available on all streaming platforms. Keep up with the band by following them on Instagram and liking them on Facebook.
A Very Special Episode will also be doing a special Direct-to-Vinyl Live Session at Leesta Vall Studio on March 26th, 2022. You can pre-order a copy of your own personalized 7-inch lathe cut from the session here.
