When Your Heartstrings Break by Beulah (Review)

I picked this one up a few weeks ago at the Antiquarium, a very cool bookstore/used record mecca/art gallery. Back in high school, this was the place for all of us rebels (I use that term loosely, and if you knew me, you’d know why) to hang out. You could smoke, dig through piles of LPs to find that one Mudhoney single you didn’t have, and drink coffee to your heart’s content.

Ah… the joys of high school.

I can imagine that the boys in Beulah probably hung out in a place very similar to this back in high school. But I don’t think they ever left. They just grew up there, growing tired of Mudhoney and moving on to the Beatles and Phil Spector. Then, one day, they heard Pet Sounds and were convinced that it was the work of God.

I imagine the boys in Beulah as the ones who just couldn’t identify with the passionate, yet nonsensical lyrics of Mr. Cobain, and instead curled up under the sheets, headphones pressed into their bowlcuts, while “In My Room” played out its golden harmonies. While other kids were forming bands in their garage, the Beulah crew were holing themselves up in their room with a 4-track, eschewing the normal high school pursuit of “getting some.”

That’s why When Your Heartstrings Break is such candy for the ears. The melodies are hummable, you find yourself playing the air drums or singing along with the backing harmonies, and you get a little tear in your eye at the string arrangements that peeks up every once in awhile. Over 20 people played on this album, bringing instruments like the harp and tabla, as well as enough violins and cellos to start their own orchestra to the studio.

This record is chock full of flourishes. Check out the baroque movements and Sid and Marty Croft-esque opening of “If We Can Land A Man On The Moon, Surely I Can Win Your Heart” (now that’s a song title). “Emma Blowgun’s Last Stand” starts off with a little Indian tabla vibe that morphs into a love-in made up of fuzzy keyboards and strings à la Stereolab (or maybe a twee version of Stereolab). But unfortunately, the best parts of this album are the flourishes. Take those away, and you’re left with not much else. It’s kind of like swathing a cake in a couple inches of chocolate frosting. You wade through only to discover the frosting was the best part.

Still, though… it’s hard to ignore music this sweet and charming. There’s no doubt as to the skills these guys possess. They know how to write pop hooks and vocal harmonies, and they do it with a measure of lo-fi charm. But unfortunately, I don’t think that’s enough to carry this album to the pop heights that it earnestly seeks to achieve. It’s a good record to work to, but as for active listening, I’ll probably end up going elsewhere for my pop needs.