OurStage

The self-titled debut EP from Captain Black Heart is a stirring combination of heart-on-the-sleeve lyrics and lush musical arrangements. With all the immediacy of a hand-scrawled letter to a departing lover, the album is full of poignant, at times melancholic, songs of heartache and rumination. This is the sound of a heart breaking and suggests the wistful longing of a soul searching for answers. However, these are not all dour, navel-gazing tunes. Moments of hope emerge throughout like brief flashes of sunlight on an overcast day. Meanwhile, the sound itself is quite substantial—impressive given the fact that this is primarily the work of only two artists. The influence of Elliott Smith and Nick Drake is clear in Erwin Herceg’s pensive lyrics and sometimes mournful vocals, while Dino Malito’s expansive soundscapes infer his own creative influences, as varied as Pink Floyd and the Flaming Lips. Their arresting musicianship is augmented by guest appearances, including Juan Alderete from the Mars Volta, who contributes to the EP’s final track, “Bomb Shelter.”