Album Review: Hearts Of Gold by Dollar Signs

Hearts Of Gold by Dollar Signs has been far and away my most anticipated album of 2021. I’ve been following the band since hearing Yikes in 2015 and have enjoyed watching them grow a bigger and bigger following over the years. In March, Hearts Of Gold was released on Pure Noise Records and it definitely felt like a big occasion. I’ve seen Dollar Signs compared to The Menzingers and Spanish Love Songs in the more mainstream alternative music press but I would certainly say there’s a lot of Jeff Rosenstock in their sound as well. It certainly feels like Hearts Of Gold had a lot of hype and anticipation surrounding it – does it live up to all the positive attention it received? Of course it does.

Hearts Of Gold begins with I’m Afraid I Make Yr Depression Worse. The song starts out slowly as lead singer Erik Button and his acoustic guitar tell the sad story of a relationship where one person brings the other one down mentally and emotionally. As the track goes along different members of the band come in before they all join together for a bombastic finale to the track. The energy that builds towards the end of the song coincides with Erik realising that he needs to make himself better to improve the relationship. Up next is Negative Blood, one of three songs that Dollar Signs released in the build up to the album’s release. There’s a chaotic nature to the song that is classic Dollar Signs. I guess this is partly why they chose it as a single. It’s a positive sounding song where Erik sings about how his mental health issues are making him a tougher human being. He’s getting by and surviving despite the hardships life throws at him. I especially enjoyed the lyrics “trying to be more positive but I got B-negative running through my blood.” The third song is named Bonghammer and it is about trying to grow up but always having a reason as to why things don’t quite go as planned. I’m sure there are plenty of people reading this or listening to the song who will heavily relate. I often refer to myself as a terrible grown up. The imagery created with the lyrics “now I got frames for all my posters, I gotta use an old bong as a hammer, cuz I don’t have a toolkit like my father” is sublime.

Sticks & Stones is a short and sad song. It’s stripped back with just acoustic guitar and piano as Erik sings about relapsing but accepting that he’s allowed to have a bad day. Having a song that sounds like this pop up on the fourth track is a great idea as it really grabs your attention and forces you to listen to the lyrics. I’m a big fan of the message that the song puts out and believe it’s important for people to hear. Up next is B.O.M.B.S. which was another track released before the album came out. This was another great choice for a single as it’s so catchy and will quickly find a home in your head. The opening guitars fill the song with energy and as soon as the vocals come in you’ll find yourself wanting to shout back at the band as loudly as you can. The track is about analysing your behaviour and questioning some of your self-destructive acts. I’m very keen to see Dollar Signs live as soon as possible (hopefully at Fest this year) and I can see this song being a big highlight. The last of the three singles released before Hearts Of Gold is up next. Bad News was also released with an excellent video you can watch here. This song really reminded me of Jeff Rosenstock’s Nausea when I first heard it. There’s a musical theatre feeling to the song that gives it so much joy. It’s about sharing your problems and bad news with your friends and hopefully it will at least make things better. This is another song that’s going to be amazing fun to see performed live.

Fistfight! starts the second half of the album. It’s a slow and simple song with the music taking a backseat to Erik’s vocals. This enables the listener to really get a grip of what he’s singing about. The track is about knowing when you’ve been beaten and coming to the realisation that it’s okay to stop and smell the roses from time to time. This leads wonderfully into the next song Nihilist Gundam. Things really go up a gear here, from the slow and steady Fistfight! we jump straight into an up-tempo and chaotic song that really drags the energy of the song back up. Given that the band have made a single video of the two songs being connected by a story, it’s clear that a lot of care and thought has gone into the running order of the songs on the album and I’m a big fan of that. Nihilist Gundam is about behaving in a self-destructive way and realising that it is perhaps time for a change. This song, more than any other on the album makes great use of dual and gang vocals which adds even more to the chaotic energy that explodes out of the song. The ninth song on Hearts Of Gold is titled Falling Off. Falling Off feels like a much more straightforward punk rock song. It starts off in quick and punchy way before the melody works its way in as the band reach the chorus. As the song progresses, more and more hooks and catchy lyrics appear and, in what is true Dollar Signs fashion, things get crazy and excitable towards the end of the song. The song is about being different and accepting that it’s okay. I love the positivity that pours out of the song and this feels like another that will be really special to watch live. Interestingly, the final thirty or so seconds feels like a completely different song where Erik talks about working on himself and how difficult it can be. This felt pretty random but perfectly fitting for something in a Dollar Signs song.

Kiss Me is a short forty-three second song where Erik and bass player Dylan trade lines in a call and response manner before coming together for the chorus. I’m a huge fan of songs that have multiple vocalists as I feel like they can give a song such a big sound. It also really invites a massive sing-along which I’m always into. The track feels like an intro for the penultimate song, I Love You. I Love You sees a great duet from Erik and Phoebe Masteller-Defiance of Dandelion Massacre and I Kill Cameron. The track has a hint of the band’s early folk punk days, as well as a tinge of country thanks to some sweet harmonica fills. The song is about a couple who are madly in love with each other but not being able to express it. There is a sweetness about the song that you don’t often hear in punk songs. This might be a bold statement but, for me, this is one of the best punk rock love songs I’ve heard in a long long time. It puts such a big smile on my face and I urge all you couples to give it a listen. I wish the band would’ve made a video for the song as I imagine it would be hilarious. The final song on Hearts Of Gold is the fittingly titled Hearts Of Gold Finale. Finishing with a stripped back and raw sounding acoustic song was an interesting choice and I did expect the whole band to jump in at some point. This never happened and, on reflection, I’m happy about this and it gives the song a more earnest feeling. Hearts Of Gold Finale is about realising that even though things might seem bad now there is plenty of time for things to improve. There’s a great sense of reassurance that you get from when a good friend looks after you. Such a fitting end to a brilliant album.

I was so excited for this album to come out and it manages to exceed all of my high expectations for it. If Hearts Of Gold isn’t placed highly in my end of year lists for 2021 it means it’s been the best year for music ever. I really feel like Dollar Signs are going to be the next breakout band from the American punk rock scene and I look forward to seeing them play in front of packed crowds in the UK as soon as it’s possible.

Stream and download Hearts Of Gold on Bandcamp here.

Like Dollar Signs on Facebook here.

This review was written by Colin Clark.

Album Review: Brave Faces Everyone by Spanish Love Songs (by Emma Prew)

Spanish Love Songs’ third album, Brave Faces Everyone, has now been out for over a month. The dust has settled a little and I have listened to it enough times on repeat – plus heard a handful of the new songs live – to feel ready to give it a proper review.

2018’s Schmaltz was a brilliant second album and was, in many ways, more of a complete article than Spanish Love Songs’ debut album, Giant Sings The Blues. I love both albums dearly and, to be honest, couldn’t pick a favourite between them but there’s no denying than Schmaltz flows very well as an ‘album’ from start to finish and just generally felt more refined than their debut. Schmaltz is the album that made the band a lot more well known – particularly over here in the UK – and so, in that respect, Brave Faces Everyone had quite a challenge on its hands in following on from where Schmaltz left off.

Thankfully, from my very first listen through on the album’s release day, I had no doubts regarding the fact that Spanish Love Songs had done it again with Brave Faces Everyone. I’ve heard a lot of people saying already that this is likely to be their album of the year, I’m not going to say that… yet, but it’s certainly my favourite as of now. And this is why…

As we hit play on track number one, Routine Pain, a gentle hum of Meredith’s synths welcome us to Brave Faces Everyone before Dylan utters the unforgettable line ‘On any given day, I’m a 6 of 10’ (a poignant nod to Scott Hutchison). As Dylan sings of his anxieties, the first verse builds slowly both in volume and pace before we reach a hugely cathartic chorus – ‘So let me ruin my guts tonight.’ It immediately has me wanting to throw my fist in the air and sing along. When the pace slows back down again towards the end of the song, we are allowed a moment to breathe before being thrust into the final bridge. I can confirm that yelling along to ‘Have you ever felt lower than everyone else?, I’m feeling lower than anyone else. If everything’s lower than everything else, I want to see how much lower we can go.’ is just as exhilarating as anything from Giant or Schmaltz. What an album opener! And what’s better than a killer album opener? A killer album opener that perfectly blends into the second track – thanks to more of those fantastic synths. Self-Destruction (As A Sensible Career Choice) isn’t at all stripped back with some lovely huge-sounding fuzzy guitars from the outset. It’s a super catchy, head-nodder of a tune that worms its way into your head before you’ve properly considered what the song is about. The song is about how troubled and helpless you can feel as a 30-something, between your own personal problems such as paying the bills and the fact that the world is quite literally on fire. A relatable song topic if ever there was one. There’s a strange amount of comfort to be found in the chorus – ‘“It won’t be this bleak forever." Yeah right. I hope you’re right. Have you seen me lately?’ 

Unsurprisingly, the themes that Spanish Love Songs broached on the first two songs are ever present in the third track. Generation Loss features a wonderfully melodic riff to easily rival the likes of The Menzingers and the track simply oozes nostalgic vibes, however it’s pretty hard-hitting lyrically. The song talks of a battle with depression and the grief that comes if someone close to you loses that battle. It makes me feel hugely emotional just reading the lyrics and trying to digest exactly what Generation Loss is about but I’m thankful that this song exists as I know so many people will find comfort in it. Particularly with another chorus that is just begging you to scream along – ‘We’re just so fucking tired, Of explaining ourselves. We throw a pill down our throats, Or ourselves into in the ocean. ’Cause half our friends are dead. The other half are depressed. In this budget rate life, The borderline’s looking thin.’ Things take a slight turn for the next song, Kick. This song was released as the lead single from Brave Faces Everyone (assuming you don’t count Losers, as that was initially released almost a year before the rest of the album) and it’s easy to see why. Kick has a big anthemic instrumental opening that immediately grabs your attention and hooks you in even before Dylan begins to tell the tale of a person struggling with drug addiction. It’s a pretty heavy going subject – like much of the band’s back catalogue – but contrasts wonderfully with the melody. I particularly enjoyed the nod to the album’s title in one line of the third verse – ‘Pop your prescription and you put on a brave face.’ Songwriting perfection.

Beach Front Property sees Spanish Love Songs slow the pace down somewhat with a much more restrained opening verse than anything we’ve heard so far on Brave Faces Everyone. The rhythm section shines through here however while a gentle guitar melody echoes in the background and, later on in the track, some subtle piano playing. As you might expect from the band, the volume does increase in the chorus but it’s quite abrupt and direct – ‘If every city is the same, Doom and gloom under a different name, Maybe we should find our home in one.’. Beach Front Property is about feeling like no matter where you choose to live there are always going to be problems with the place and you’re not necessarily going to be happier somewhere new – the grass isn’t always greener. It’s a pretty pessimistic outlook but this is Spanish Love Songs after all! Next up is a song that I am, and I’m sure you are too, well acquainted with – Losers. Originally released as a 7” single last Spring, I was a little surprised when I heard that the track would be appearing on Brave Faces Everyone. Don’t get me wrong, it’s an amazing song and I love it but I wasn’t sure how it would sit alongside an album of new material (then again, Buffalo Buffalo and Boy Considers His Haircut were released on an EP a while before Schmaltz as well, and the latter is one of my very favourite SLS songs). Thankfully Losers works very, very well in the context of the album and does a fine job of opening the second half. It’s fast-paced and so damn catchy that it injects a new lease of life into side B. It’s unlikely that another chorus on this album will get as big a live audience singalong as this one – ‘And my bleak mind, Says it's cheaper just to die, The prick inside my head’s, Laid off and daring me to try, My bleak mind says this is all you got, Hoping all this time, but all you'll find is, It gets harder, doesn't it?’

The first time I listened to Brave Faces Everyone (on Spotify, since I hadn’t received my vinyl copy/download code at the time), I thought I’d suddenly stopped listening to Spanish Love Songs after Losers and was listening to someone else. That is how much the opening of Optimism (As A Radical Life Choice) doesn’t sound like anything the band have done before. I must stress that this is not at all a bad thing, it peaked my interest and had me eagerly listening to see how the song would progress and, now, honestly this is probably my favourite song on the album. It takes us on an incredible journey throughout its four and half minute duration and is filled with ups and downs and twists and turns. The overarching theme of the song is basically about feeling like the end of the world is nigh, both due to your own personal anxieties and the climate crisis – and now, it takes on a whole new meaning thanks to COVID-19. I could quote so many of the lyrics in this song – it’s all so fucking good – but the bridge, in particular, is outstanding. ‘Because the ocean's gonna rise, The river's finally gonna overflow and leave us stranded, Try to make it to the other side, But there's a crack in my lifeboat, And I'm sinking, well I'm sinking, Won't you sink with me.’ If I was skeptical about Losers being on Brave Faces Everyone then you can bet that I was just as skeptical about song called Losers, Pt. 2 also being included. But, oh my, was I wrong to dismiss it! This song is so much more than just the second part of Losers – it’s a goddamn banger in its own right, perhaps even more so than Part 1. Losers, Pt. 2 opens with a distinct bass line, giving bassist Trevor time to shine, alongside a steady drum beat. When the guitars and keys do come in, they’re a big as you’d expect from track that I’ve already referred to as a ‘banger’. Unsurprisingly, it’s the chorus where the song really comes to life and Dylan’s lyrics really hit home – ‘Don’t you know you were born to die poor man? Don’t you know that you’re gonna do yourself in? And you’ll always wake up tired, Because there’s nowhere we go from here.’. The song is, of course, about just trying to get by in life – working just to live, or survive, and doing whatever you can to avoid succumbing to the obstacles life throws at you.

The penultimate song on Brave Faces Everyone is Dolores. Probably the most brutally emotional song on the record – and that’s saying something – Dolores is a slow burner of a song that is somewhat stripped back compared to the previous songs on the album. Its lyrics are structured significantly differently to the other songs as well. Here Dylan tells a story of someone working in an emergency room and putting every bit of their energy into trying to save someone’s life – perhaps, and I could be wrong, after a shooting (because America seems to have a few too many gun-related tragedies). It’s as heart-wrenching as it is moving and the fact that the song doesn’t have that big singalong chorus, catchy riffs or impactful bridge section doesn’t matter one bit. It’s still a first-class song, especially the way it builds and builds with the song’s conclusion being the line ‘They’re praying for you, you, for you.’ repeated over and over before fading out. Brave Faces Everyone started in a big way but will it end in a big way? Definitely, there’s certainly no doubt about that! I don’t think there could possibly be a better way to conclude the album than with Brave Faces, Everyone – note the inclusion of the comma on this song title, as opposed to the album’s title. You can tell that Spanish Love Songs are on a mission to close this album in style from the first few bars of the track, seemingly putting everything they’ve got left into this song. Brave Faces, Everyone reflects on everything that has been said and done on the album, including literally echoing lyrics we recognise from earlier on in the album plus a few nods back to Schmaltz as well. They’re not simply recycling old lines though, it’s delivered in such a way that just works. It ties up the album as a whole and the package is completed with a poignant outro. ‘I’m sick of yelling at strangers, Don’t want to do this forever, And when it all burns down, Will you carry me over? We don't have to fix everything at once, We were never broken, Life's just very long, Brave faces, everyone.’ 

This is the first time I’ve actually reviewed a whole Spanish Love Songs album and I have thoroughly enjoyed reading every word on my lyric sheet over and over as well as listening carefully for every single note in order to pour as much love into this review as I possibly can. The album and the band deserve it. There are not many artists that I’d put quite this level of passion into reviewing but Spanish Love Songs are such a special band to me. At the start of this review, I stated that I would struggle to pick a favourite album between Schmaltz and Giant Sings The Blues. Well, I can honestly say that I feel much the same about Brave Faces Everyone – and that surprises me, I didn’t think Spanish Love Songs would be able to top Schmaltz. You’ll have to ask me again in six months time if I think they’ve actually ‘topped’ it but I have no doubt that they’ve produced something equally as outstanding.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go and listen to the album again. It feels even more fitting with how things are at the moment – we need albums and bands like Spanish Love Songs more than ever.

If you read this far, thank you – I know this is longer than the average album review!

You can stream and download Brave Faces Everyone here and like Spanish Love Songs on Facebook here.

This review was written by Emma Prew.