PURPLE HEARTS
Simply put, Reardon Love are a Hull based 4 piece band armed with a message.
Formed in the Autumn of 2018, they have always set out to champion the underdog, hail the outsider and liberate the falsely accused. From the story of Brandon Teena to acknowledging the dreams of those who seek refuge or calling out the state of modern British working-class society, their music stands proud with a strong message every time.
Now it’s not that usual for a band to release a song about war, but on Remembrance Sunday (11th November 2021) Reardon Love did just that! Reardon Love have never been a band to shy away from speaking out about their political views and demanding a move from injustice, and their fourth single is no exception. While previous releases have explored ideas of transphobia and the refugee crisis, the band’s new release turns it’s focus on events that occurred during World War Two.
The band’s latest release, ‘Purple Hearts‘ at first glance is an upbeat indie pop tune, but listen more closely and you’ll come to appreciate that it is in fact a story centering around a figure called ‘Horace Greasley‘, a man who claims to have escaped a notorious Prisoner of War camp over 200 times to rendezvous with a clandestine lover. His capture on the battlefield of Cherbourg and the following ten-week death march to Poland nearly killed him but when he met the daughter of one of his captors everything changed.
This latest release feels somewhat different to us from the band’s previous releases and we would say that’s in part due to the addition of new main vocalist Esther.
The addition of the female vocals on the track add a softer more upbeat element to the music than was previously the case and we would says that its a welcome addition as this latest release is the best offering from the band to date and one which leaves us looking forward in anticipation to see what the band have in store next.
Indeed, it would seem that we’re not the only ones to have noticed the recent growth and viability of this band with this likes of new music moguls, This Feeling also having picked up on them and having shown great support for the new track.
Front man of the band Matt Fletcher has commented of ‘Purple Hearts’ :-
“Whether it be the purple heart medal awarded to soldiers for valor as seen in the single’s artwork, the purple heart in decay and coagulation after death or the purple heart of clandestine love, the message is clear. Even in the deepest darkness and in the face of the staunchest evil, love and hope shine eternal.”
Upon Listening to the track we are immediately put in mind of a happy jangly indie pop tune reminiscent of the likes of The Coral or The La’s.. vocally there still that Smithseque sound that the band has become known for and this is enhanced and developed to a new level by the gorgeous, harmonious vocals provided by Esther. Overall its a dreamy pop song which we can see doing really well for the band. To us it seems like the band have found their feet and their vibe with this track and that this the start of something beautiful for them.
Listen to PURPLE HEARTS here now
Reardon Love have currently been out on the road with their “Dreams From The Diaspora” tour. There are still a few dates of the tour left, details of which can be found here.
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Words by THE SONGBIRD HQ
The songbird 