Manchester-based Arms & Hearts started out as an acoustic act for frontman Steve Millar (unfortunately The Steve Miller Band name was already taken) back in 2015. After a debut album, embarking on worldwide tours, and major festival gigs, the band is now a two-piece releasing their follow-up album, The Future Is Not Bright.
“Both personal and inherently political, over 12 tracks, The Future is Not Bright explores everything from the realities of identity, death, love, injustice, struggles with mental health and (metaphorically!) wanting to murder your boss, insisting on optimism in a cultural climate that demands cynicism and misery,” says the band about the release.
The album kicks off with “Time Flies When It’s Meaningless,” an immediately captivating track with a mellow moodiness that soon builds and broadens. “Bottom Line” is indie rock at its finest, with a decidedly Springsteen approach, while “Apologists” offers a huge chorus, big, bright moments, and a singalong style. “Nothing Sacred” stands out with a sound befitting a radio hit and a stellar live song, with its palpable intensity, moody guitar riffs and impeccable vocal delivery.
For me, “Val” is the track that stands out the most. It’s full of feeling and tons of depth, with a storytelling vibe and lyrics that stay with you: “They say you die twice; once when you die, and when someone speaks your name for the last time. So I swear to you, I’ll never stop saying your name“. The shift around the two-minute mark is so effective, I had to re-listen to the song from beginning to end on repeat to fully dive in and give it the attention it deserves.
“I Wanna Kill Your Boss” blends a toned-down yet powerful sound (no matter how impossible that sounds), and embodies a punk rock ethos. “Sink, England, Sink” will have listeners dancing and singing along, while “Hold Tight” is more mellow to start, with an anthemic feel once the energy kicks in. The album ends with the title track, “The Future Is Not Bright”; one of my favourites from the entire release, the song has a moody, hopeful feeling and a huge chorus.
Overall, the album has a sound that could be described as similar to The Gaslight Anthem, but punk-tinged and grittier. There’s a depth to the music and lyrics, the vocals are incredibly compelling, and every song has just enough catchiness and accessibility that they will appeal to a wide audience–but without sacrificing their grit to become a mainstream sound. This is for the alt rock fans, the indie enthusiasts, and the music snobs. It’s just fantastic. As a first-time listener and now sure to be a longtime fan, I feel confident in saying (cheesiness intended), that the future is indeed bright for Arms & Hearts.
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 back in 2015. After a debut album, embarking on worldwide tours, and major festival gigs, the band is now a two-piece releasing their follow-up album, The Future Is Not Bright.){kind=link}