Songs come from the heart. Whether it be through pure instrumental prowess or lyrical integrity, few can deny the expression of the artist found within their favorite tracks. Avila bears his melancholy in the freshman track “Heart of Coal.†The track was written with the concept of only using bass guitars as instrumentals against the lyrics and it shows. From the top, the buildup leads into the groove of the bass to evoke the aesthetic of the track and only pushes forward from there.
The multi-layered bass groove gives a haunting sense of depth. The pulls of the strings in front of the deeper bass underneath, complemented by the cradling of the violin in the background, will have your head bobbing throughout the track. It sets up a mysterious and dour aesthetic that is easy to drown in. The vocals of Avila are strong and echo with the pain he wears on his sleeve. His emotion is evident in lines such as “these scars now mend my soul†and “now I charge ahead, now I breathe in light.†It comes together to create a somber and cinematic listening experience of despair and renewed triumph that would feel right at home on a movie soundtrack.
“Heart of Coal†is a track unashamed of what it is about. The lyrics convey the same melancholy as the instrumentals put on, making it a track that you can easily sink into.
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