Seattle's Goodbye Heart has been one of our favorite surprises to come out of the Pacific Northwest in the last two years. Nila K. Leigh and Sam Ford are a relatable duo, but one that's embraced an ethereal aesthetic without hesitation. Their debut EP, Restless Nights, conjured up images of mid-'80s melancholy, and their latest single, "Prospect," continues that trend while building upon it with more mature production and songwriting.
It's a complex track that doesn't flaunt its intricacies, choosing instead to blend them into a wash of subtly insistent synths and samples. The opening lyrics, "Old heads / They're calling / Want something / Like they know me," imply a sense of coercion, as if the singer is set upon by voices insisting he act against his own interests. But Ford's vocals are defiant, asserting that he has "a new best friend"—the closest any of us can come to a savior.
Along with Leigh's accents and harmonies, "Prospect" becomes a hopeful track, overwhelming its negative forces through sheer force of will. Though we're disinclined to presume any literal narratives without the artists' say so, to us, this is a song of self-affirmation and solidarity. Among the other three tracks of Keep Me Close, it's one of the more pensive, foregoing pop catchiness in favor of emotional impact. And given the range we've seen from Goodbye Heart over the years, this is going to be a hell of an impactful record once we hear it in full.
Goodbye Heart are premiering a new track from Keep Me Close every other Friday, so keep an eye out for the rest this summer.
