Heart Attack Man

Heart Attack Man [EP] (2013)

John Payne

Stark in its simplicity, agonizing in its sincerity, Heart Attack Man's debut EP can really wreck your day.

Pairing glimmering guitar leads with sad bastard vocals, the trio wastes less time than an Olympic alpine skier making you feel their pain. "I'm so completely annoyed with everything, except for the thought of you laying right here next to me," goes the abbreviated chorus to "Incompetence." The result is somewhere between Pavement, Joyce Manor and drinking alone in the dark.

The band's strength lies in crafting huge, heart-wrenching hooks, but only playing them for ten goddamn seconds. It's kind of bittersweet, actually. As soon as you fall in love with a song, it's over, and your only option is to just listen to the entire recording again. This is no big deal considering all six songs clock in at around eight minutes.

Tracks like "For the Record," a basement show anthem that features one great guitar lead and one great hook, get up and walk out the door before you even get to say hello, let alone ask for a name or number. The outcome is a record that can be played a dozen times a day.

Heart Attack Man's gorgeous, depressing power pop can make you feel withered like a Cleveland winter, and is solid enough to get you through it.