Track Review: Heartache for the Heartless // Garrow Hill
A serendipitous meeting around the water cooler at work, Mark Chappell and PG Branton hardly knew what lay in store for them. From a brief chat about, um, “water cooler at work stuff soon led to the formation of the hard rock group Garrow Hill. Based in York and founded in 2018, the UK quartet began sharing its heavy-hitting sound with the world.
Nodding their hat to old-school classic rock, punk, grunge, metal and some indie-rock undertones, Garrow Hill is a package of eclectic noise. Following critical acclaim from The Other Side Reviews, Edgar Allan Poets, New Music Yorkshire, Local Sounds Focus and several mainstream radio shows, Garrow Hill are gaining traction across the internet. In fact, the band supported English punk rockers Janus Stark showcasing their energetic and engaging live presence. Unfortunately, live shows were put on hold with Covid-19 restrictions; however, this does not mean Garrow Hill were just sitting doing nothing. Today we look at the fruits of their creativity with ‘Heartache for the Heartless’.
Described as having “a great way with light and shade”, Garrow Hill produces sonic representations of the “nitty-gritty” areas in life. The second single from their upcoming second EP, ‘Heartache for the Heartless’ is made for those who love headbanging to their music. A kaleidoscopic fusion of Metallica, Led Zeppelin, Foo Fighters and Queens of the Stone Age, the track takes you on a hard rock trip from the 1970s to 2021 – a bit wild but worth the ride.
While there are many musical elements included in ‘Heartache for the Heartless’, there is a strong reminiscence to the old-school rock meets metal vibe. PG Branton’s pounding drums complement the dynamic bass and guitars (courtesy of Mark Chappell, Dan Rawcliffe and Stew King) without overpowering the smooth vocals. A silkiness and flowing melody captivate you throwing you into a swirl of sound, but not so insane that you become dizzy or lose your way. Garrow Hill ensnares your senses while holding you in a comfortable bubble.
Yes, the song has a hard-hitting tone to the melody, but Stew and Mark’s vocals lay a sweetness to soothe your soul. Oddly enough, the charming tone hides a deeper and more poignant message than what appears on the melodic surface. Described by the band as “a song that looks at regret and…we often think we could have done something else instead…it looks at mistakes and imperfection in an adverse light.” Yet, while there is a solemnity to the track, Garrow Hill leaves you with a sense of enlightenment in the nostalgic lyricism saying noting that ‘Heartache for the Heartless’ is “accepting negative baggage”.
Having grown up with classic rock, and a fan of alternative rock bands today, I found this a pleasure to listen to. Mature, sophisticated and beguiling, I can easily say it will be on my personal playlist (and on repeat) for quite some time.