Unveiling a sound that grows from chugging bass-fronted introspection into anthemic vibrancy, “Heart Beats Quicker” serves as an apt title, representative of the track’s steady structural uptick. The track comes via Australian project Little Wise, the alias of Sophie Klein.
Klein’s vocals allure, commenting “all you gotta do is close your eyes,” amidst sporadic guitar pushes and twinkles of piano, aesthetically reminiscent of Deacon Blue and other ’80s highlights in that vein. The title-referencing chorus shines; the vocals rise to a confident vigor, the “I’ll never let you down,” culmination captivating with its hypnotic bass line, playful guitars, and hints of strings — reminding here of the duo Tennis.
A soaring guitar line and excitably clap-laden percussive additions build to a spirited three-minute mark, offering just the right dose of structural variety for this ’80s-minded rocker. Co-written with Australian-born, Canadian-based artist Larissa Tandy, “Heart Beats Quicker” shows some wholly memorable songwriting from the duo. “Larissa and I are both queer, both songwriters, and each have daughters born a week apart”, Klein says. “We met in Nashville in 2017, stayed in touch, and then reconnected when [Tandy] returned to Melbourne in 2020, just before the pandemic hit.”
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This track and others featured this month can be streamed on the updating Obscure Sound’s ‘Best of May 2022’ Spotify playlist.
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