Debut album Year One will be released later this spring, but the overall theme woven through the album is that of the force of everyday habits that can have both a liberating and limiting effect. When viewed from a distance, the role of pattern and schedule can make each day feel very similar.
Heart Is Broken is the debut single from This Boy, and starts in the mould of an alternative R&B joint - falsetto vocals and dark projection create a sense of isolation on a song that depicts the feeling of hurt that comes at the point our hearts snap. Yet this is high concept pop... In time, the song transforms into a transcendent piece as a huge choral refrain kicks in, an angelic moment that feels like it captures the feeling of salvation that comes as a heart becomes as broken as it can be, and the process of healing begins.
Moments of true heartbreak are tragic and immensely painful, yet they also represent the moment when the repair can start. Musically, Heart Is Broken represents a sound quite unlike anything I’ve heard before. Give it a listen and wait for the healing to begin.