In the fall of 2013, I saw Boston punks Lovechild by accident. I was running sound for a four-band show of local acts but not really paying attention, as the first band wasn’t really my “thing.” But as I stared curiously at the multitude of high school kids and Bostonians gathered in front of me, I failed to notice the second band finish setting up. “So we just finished recording our full-length,” they announced to some “yeahs” and “woo-hoos” from the crowd, but I still wasn’t paying attention. Suddenly, Lovechild blasted the crowd with some of the most engaging punk I had ever seen live.
The show was so impressive that I bought a Lovechild shirt afterwards, liked their Facebook page, listened to their demos, and waited for their aforementioned full-length album to drop. With this debut, Lovechild has officially made it onto my list of favorite new bands. “In Heaven, Everything is Fine” is 10 minutes of blistering hardcore that features excellent production, musicianship and just good stuff all around. Over the course of 11 songs, there are lyrics about social issues, personal strife and other things that are a little hard to understand through the guitars and screamed vocals.
However, what is clear is that Lovechild is here, and they are angry, and they want to be heard. Boy, do they deserve to be, from “Strangers” to “We Are Nothing Alike” to “Oh, Love,” the songs start cranked to 11 and never go lower. If anything, they only get tougher and more intense with every song. Creative guitar riffs, pounding drums and hammering bass all come together with the excellent vocals in a way that stuck with me the same way that Trash Talk’s “Eyes and Nines” did the first time I heard it.
“Post-Traumatic Apathy,” “Human Relations” and “Your Neighbors,” the final three tracks, take the album to its apex (“I’m still burning!” shrieks singer Greg Cook) and into the finish. The end of the album is excellent, and though the album is very short, I was satisfied. Like the show I discovered them at, Lovechild’s full-length debut is intense, fiery, emotional and fun to listen to. Everything on “In Heaven, Everything is Fine,” including the “Eraserhead” reference that is the title, is polished and tough. But if you stick it out, I can guarantee you’ll enjoy yourself. “In Heaven, Everything is Fine,” is out now on Lovechild’s Bandcamp page (WhoisLovechild.Bandcamp.com).
