Save Ends - Warm Hearts, Cold Hands

Boston's Save Ends is a wonderful and energetic throwback to the glory years of early Vagrant-era post-emo.

Taking a cue from early Saves the Day, Get Up Kids and The Anniversary, Boston's Save Ends is a wonderful and energetic throwback to the glory years of early Vagrant-era post-emo, pop-fused punk. Warm Hearts, Cold Hands is a wonderful mix of everything that era did well; uptempo melodies, melancholic tones, harmonic vocals and a sense of “growing up” within the songs.

Save Ends features dual male/female vocals that work in unison to give the songs an added texture. Christine Atturio's voice comes across similarly to how Jolie Lindholm's did during her time as vocalist for grossly underrated band The Rocking Horse Winner. The songs on Warm Hearts come across as a mixture of Atturio-directed sentimentality (the great “Chasing Embers”) and the Hot Rod Circuit-esque (“Kurzweil”), while tracks like “Song of Susannah” could have been a cut off Designing A Nervous Breakdown or a highlight from a Rainer Maria album. The album opens with the humorously titled “Punkorama 30”, giving credence to the band's self awareness and lineage, and quickly ascends to fast-paced melodic punk, setting the tone and energy for the rest of the release's vastly oscillating styles and tones. Much of which results in one of the most rewarding listens we've come across this year.

There's a lot to like about this record, and while the sounds can be a throwback to music from a decade ago, Save Ends aren't just about sounding like their influences. For those who grew up with mid to late 90s emo, Save Ends are what would become of the sound, and liking this record is about more than just nostalgia- it's about realising the long lasting resonance of that time and how well this band is able to capture and emote this aural atmosphere.

Falling snow, reflections of Massachusetts, and the pull of the heartstrings are the things Save Ends write home about. And Warm Hearts, Cold Hands is the finest entry into the genre in a very long time.

(Tiny Engines)