Categories: Reviews

Arms & Hearts- The Future Is Not Bright

Arms & Hearts, a UK-based indie rock and alternative rock duo from Salford, have just released their second studio album and it’s absolutely awesome!

After realising that The Steve Miller band was already taken, Manchester-based Steven Millar started Arms & Hearts as an acoustic project in 2015.

After establishing himself with solo acoustic tracks, Steve collaborated with Sam Cook to craft an innovative sound for the ‘Future Is Not Bright’ album.

Tracklisting
1. Time Flies When it’s Meaningless
2. Bottom Line
3. Apologists
4. Ghost
5. Nothing Sacred
6. Val
7. I wanna kill Your Boss
8. Elvis Will do in a Pinch
9. Binaries
10. Sink, England, Sink
11. Hold Tight
12. The Future is Not Bright

Steve’s vocals on this album are absolutely phenomenal. It’s interesting but for me on a few tracks, they bear a striking resemblance to Tim Armstrong from Rancid, but with a unique indie rock twist rather than the usual punk rock style.

Steve has this to say about the album,

“Over 3 years, I wrote a collection of songs that I didn’t think would ever see the light of day – a complete change from the Folk-Punk beginning that was Arms & Hearts. One day I realised that I truly believed in a lot of these songs. I then spent a year in the studio with the incredible Sam Cook making this record, crafting each song, there was no “this take will do” or “this is as good as it’s going to get”. We did not compromise and we did not stop until we were sure it was done. Creating this record almost broke me, but I am so happy and proud of what we made”.

I wrote this album about trying to find optimism in a cultural climate that demands cynicism and misery. Something that I believe grows more important every day.

The album kicks off with the acoustic folk-punk vibes of ‘Time Flies When it’s Meaningless’, channeling Steve’s solo work while adding a fresh sound that marks a new chapter for Arms & Hearts. The perfect track to start off an album.

Next up is ‘Bottom Line’, the track which to me sounds like Tim Armstrong… Am I wrong? Probably.

This is the first introduction to the new style that Steve talks about and the album only gets better with each song! The track definitely leaves the listener wanting more.

The third track “Apologists” is the standout track on the album. Its compelling melody and lyrics make it the anthem of the album, and I’ll definitely be adding it to my Spotify Liked Playlist.

We’re skipping ahead a few songs to ‘I Wanna Kill Your Boss’… Yes, that’s the actual title. This track has a really cool vibe that’s reminiscent of “blink182,” but with their own unique sound.

I want to highlight another song, the title track ‘The Future Is Not Bright’. It’s actually one of my favorite tracks on the album due to its compelling exploration of mental health in the lyrics and the unique sound that Arms & Hearts brings to the table.

This album is truly exceptional, and it deserves to be recognised as one of the standout releases of the year.

Follow Arms & Hearts on their social media platforms today and experience their incredible masterpiece on various streaming platforms.