Did you see those photos of the baby covered in French bulldogs? Heaven For Real’s four twinkling, glorious tracks on its uniquely packaged tapes evoke very different moods, but still somehow manage to all go great with that adorable photoset. Catchy and challenging, this debut collection shows the band stretching the limits of what a song can be—stopping and starting, shifting rapidly between raucous and delicate. Ideas, images and terms that came to mind while listening: pineapple juice, turquoise-coloured water, “What if Nathan used chimes?,” ear umami, a bloom of jellyfish, an industrial dough sheeter. Thanks H4R for your baby (covered in french bulldogs) jazz realness.
This article appears in Apr 18-24, 2013.
