Hearts of Black Science – 'The Ghost You Left Behind' (Shellshock) Released 02/04/2007

Hearts… are the product of childhood friends Daniel Anghede and Tomas Almgren, have both experimented their own paths in different bands, and even developing a promising career as a horror movie director, they have eventually come full circle and have finally been brought back together to produce a predominantly ambient electro-pop album coupled with a dark gothic style. Daniels vocals are hugely distinctive of Depeche Mode's Dave Gahan, with an interesting hint of Brandon Flowers from The Killers as his dark waving melodies elegantly complement the synths and programming arrangements of counterpart Tomas. 

Opening track ‘Snowfall’ completely sets the scene to what Hearts… are all about, providing enigmatic vocal arrangements across a layering of synth melodies and beats.  The emotively powerful choruses clearly show what Hearts… trademark talent is as Daniel sings “snow falls so hard on me and you, running round in circles is all we ever do”. In tandem with the album title comes one of the standouts of the album ‘To Kill The Ghost You Left Behind’, telling the tale of past love and the longing to bring it back to life, really symbolises the passion this band have to make captivating compositions worthy of some of the great alternate-post rock bands of our modern age such as Air and Sigur Ross, and M83. 

Debut single ‘Empty City Lights’ provides us with another etiquette piece of magic with a more prominent rock beat and atmospheric electric guitar riffs and the standard never swoops below par.  The Ghost… ensures constancy and intelligence, as well as the passion and edge that are ever longed for in a debut.