Electronic pop duo Strange Flesh unveils their latest album, The Hardest Thing to Burn Is the Heart, an introspective exploration of the heart’s most shadowed corners.
Strange Flesh – The Hardest Thing To Burn Is The Heart
Formed by transatlantic partners Varrick and Ed Zed, Strange Flesh crafts their signature left-field pop sound from their NYC apartment. Synths, drums, and an assortment of unconventional elements come together to shape the duo’s bold, synth-pop approach.
This ethos is at the core of The Hardest Thing to Burn Is the Heart, a 12-track collection delving into the heart’s complexities—an organ where profound emotions arise, some uplifting, others deeply challenging.
Inspired by a line from a favourite film, the self-titled track draws listeners in with unsettling beats and layered sounds. Varrick’s hushed vocals amplify the song’s theme, depicting the impossibility of shielding one’s heart from emotional harm.
Tracks like Very shift the mood, celebrating a woman’s defiant and unorthodox life through a hypnotic production filled with textured layers. Meanwhile, Our Dinner With Anna explores fame and isolation, with Ed Zed stepping in to complement Varrick’s style, offering a smooth, enriched performance.
The duo’s bond takes center stage in Chaos Hearts, a shimmering synth-pop composition that pays tribute to their shared chaos and resilience. Similarly, Many Clocks captures a sense of time-related anxiety with its dissonant rhythms and intricate arrangements.
In Croydon Fox, fragmented phrases merge with ethereal piano and synth layers to unravel a vivid narrative about tabloid-fueled moral panic.
Single / No Return showcases Strange Flesh’s enigmatic songwriting, capturing a yearning for both physical and emotional liberation. Angelic vocals and meticulously balanced production elevate the track’s serene chorus.
The album’s eerie progression intensifies with Subway Rain, which features unsettling sound effects and haunting back vocals, culminating in an abrupt, chilling scream. In The Harbour follows, with Ed leading a haunting narrative on familial alienation against nightmarish beats.
The next two tracks stand out as covers, a rarity for Strange Flesh. However, their interpretations make these additions both unexpected and compelling. First is an eerie reimagining of Leon Payne’s murder ballad Psycho, followed by a high-energy, techno-punk take on The Cravats’ Burning Bridges.
The finale, Dog Days, Dog Nights, sees Varrick and Ed alternating vocals, weaving through ghostly harmonies and solemn reflections on anxiety and depression.
The Hardest Thing to Burn Is the Heart is a darkly compelling body of work that showcases Strange Flesh’s nuanced production, inventive songwriting, and introspective themes.
With The Hardest Thing to Burn Is the Heart, Strange Flesh delivers a cohesive album that plays to their strengths and showcases the depth of their artistry. This release solidifies their distinctive identity and paves the way for even more intriguing ventures ahead.
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Words Javier Rodriguez
