“Head and hands need a mediator. The mediator between head and hands must be the heart!” Metropolis, 1927
Canadian post-punk outfit SPECTRES releases a stirring new single called The Head and the Heart this week. SPECTRES’ upcoming full-length, Nostalgia, will be released March 13th via Artoffact Records.
The Head and The Heart is a beauty, with a sound reminiscent of 80s stalwarts such as The Chameleons, Blancmange, Echo and the Bunnymen, and Sad Lovers and Giants. There is a haunting, melancholic energy to the song; it begins with a riff that especially sounds right at home with The Chameleons.
Although The Head and The Heart has its roots in punk, there is an atmospheric, psychedelic flair to it, with rolling drums and vocalist Brian Gustavson’s resigned wail. It is a heady mix of harsh post-punk woven into a more melodic New Wave sound, a recipe for deep emotional upheaval.
Gustavson describes The Head and the Heart as:
“A portrait of the alienation and isolation inherent in modernity. A critical assessment of hope, routine and value. A triumph of pessimistic nihilism.”
Listen to “The Head and the Heart” below:
SPECTRES cites anarcho-punk bands such as Crass and The Mob as their initial inspirations for the Vancouver band’s ethics when they formed in 2005. They still embody sounds of ire and confrontation, but have come to embrace a richer sound and catchy melodies.
Nostalgia was produced by ACTORS frontman Jason Corbett at Jacknife Sound in Vancouver. It follows three independent albums (all reissued by Artoffact Records in 2019).
Stream the single and pre-order/pre-save/pre-add the album, here:
SPECTRES has toured Canada, the US and Europe, and will embark on a West Coast US tour in March:
- Feb 28 – Vancouver, BC @ ARC
- Mar 6 – Portland, OR @ Blackwater Bar
- Mar 7 – Oakland, CA @ First Church of the Buzzard
- Mar 8 – Los Angeles, CA @ Part Time Punks
- Mar 10 – San Diego, CA @ The Whistle Stop
- Mar 11 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Rec Room
- Mar 12 – San Francisco, CA @ The Eagle
- Mar 13 – Chico, CA @ Naked Lounge
- Mar 14 – Portland, OR @ Lovecraft
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