The Head and the Heart... Folk Music Done Right

The Head and the Heart is a large folk band out of Seattle, Washington that has been climbing its way to indie prominence in true 'cinderella' fashion. The group came out with their self-titled debut album in 2010 and distributed it without the help of a record label. Thanks to a rapidly spreading word of mouth and the help of local record stores, the band was able to sell 10,000 copies of The Head and the Heart on their own.

Their hard work paid off, as notable Seattle independent record label Sub Pop Records signed them last Fall and since then The Head and the Heart has re-released their album through Sub Pop as well set up tour schedules with Death Cab For Cutie and Dave Matthews Band and even appeared on Conan in April.

Undoubtedly, The Head and the Heart has been a great story in the making, but what about the music? That's just the best part, because their music is the driving force behind it all. Listening to their album, it does not do anything new, nothing flashy, it's just good; and fun. Their songs feel natural --as folk music should-- while there are many catchy moments to be found on the album, the music does not take to the regular means of pop music where a song is made up of a repetitive hook and sub-par verses to fill the void. Instead, each song stands out as its own creation, this is especially noticeable when you might think you have a song pegged for one sound, and then halfway through it changes pace completely and spins itself into something else. Similarly, when listening to The Head and the Heart for the first time, use the same logic, just because hearing one song gives you a single first impression, does not mean you have experienced all that they have to offer. This music is irresistible, just let it grow on you.

The Head and the Heart's self-titled debut album can be downloaded from Amazon and iTunes.