Brooklyn-based dream pop bands seem to be a dime a dozen nowadays. However, HAERTS — yes, they chose to spell their name that way and in all caps — could be a promising diamond in an endlessly homogenous indie rough. Their first and so-far only release, “Wings” brings to mind Beach House, Fleetwood Mac, and perhaps a touch of Blondie. Its crisp baseline, airy keyboards, and lush, pining vocals from Nini Fabi (formerly of folk duo Nini + Ben), make the song quite distinctive and memorable.
It is an ambitious tune with a lot of soul and an overall aura that evokes pop music of decades past. The backing vocals (“I will never let the magic go / I’ll float away in your afterglow”) as well as the refreshing fullness and emotion behind Fabi’s voice are probably what do the most to bring about this Wilson Phillips-y vibe. Jean-Phillip Grobler of St. Lucia produced the track, but there’s no word yet on whether he’ll be collaborating with them for any future releases.
Other than a brief bio on their website and a small social networking push, HAERTS has remained fairly mysterious since releasing “Wings” a few months ago. The band features an eclectic mix of musicians from Germany, England, and the U.S. and they plan to put an album out sometime this year. Looking forward to the results.