With titles like “Anything to Hurt You,” “You Can’t Just Stop Being Cruel” and “Dragging Me to Hell,” the track list of Big Heart reads more like a collection of frustrated notes to an ex than the long-anticipated debut from NYC’s Ski Lodge. But if you’re expecting an LP filled with dissonance and hatred, think again. Even when Andrew Marr’s lyrics plunge into despair and self-pity, Big Heart’s tone remains refreshingly playful. When Marr candidly sings, “You were a simple man with a simple life / But you drank yourself into a tomb” on “Just to Be Like You,” you might be surprised to find yourself dancing along.
Although Marr is hardly the first songwriter to set heartbreaking lyrics to chirpy major-key melodies, few artists in recent memory have done it with so much charm. This album may not revolutionize indie rock, but it will almost certainly give you some quality tunes to move to—and really, isn’t that just as important? Make sure to put on comfy shoes before heading to Glasslands for this Big Heart release party; it’s pretty unlikely you’ll be standing still.—Derek Schwartz