ALBUM REVIEW: Kerosene Heights – Southeast of Somewhere

a recklessly hopeful sounding collection of tracks, but one that carries the acute awareness that comes with age that you aren’t invincible

2023 has been another strong year for the so-called ‘emo revival’, and whilst the music industry does still represent a financial hell-scape for so many of its participants, the DIY scene seems to have been getting more attention than ever before; perhaps people are finally longing for a sense of discovery in their music. Arriving out of Asheville, North Carolina, comes No Sleep Records’ latest emo outfit, Kerosene Heights. Back in May of this year, the outfit put out their debut full-length LP, ‘Southeast of Somewhere’.

Across the span of 35 minutes, this four-piece deliver 11 solid tracks of raw, unfiltered, and undeniably charismatic emo that takes elements from midwest, hardcore, and pop punk strands of the scene, and weaves them together to form a sound that sounds familiar yet distinct; a clear homage to their inspirations, as opposed to nostalgia baiting replication.

A big part of what makes ‘Southeast of Somewhere’ so enjoyable is the delivery of every element of the music; there is a real driving passion from each member of the outfit that is tangible in the music, and this is only amplified by the subtle imperfections and careful limiting of polish that keeps the music feeling grounded and engaging. Kerosene Heights aren’t making squeaky clean music for radio, they’re producing anthems that deserve to be blasted out live in your local alternative dive (or Denny’s).

From the opening track ‘Salty Eyes’, with its monstrous walls of fuzzy guitars that explode out into catchy hardcore tinged emo, to the closer ‘Next To Nothing’ with its anthemic climax that uses touches of brass to really bring a celebratory touch to affairs, the album loses none of its impact or momentum. The vocals teeter between soaring melodies and half-screams that are on the verge of breaking, whilst the instrumentation knows when to incorporate noodling mathy guitar passages, such as on ‘Otis’, and when to just bust out a simple punchy pop punk riff or two, like with ‘Mission Valley Shopping Centre’.

‘Same Shade of Red‘ features huge choruses that beg you to scream along at the top of your lungs, whilst the gang vocal harmonies are a really nice touch that adds to the album’s overall rambunctious nature. ‘Last Time’ showcases those hardcore influences, especially in regards to the percussion, and the rhythmic change around the two minute mark is musical bliss; it’s simply impossible to stay sat still whilst listening.

That capability to get you engaged and moving is demonstrated no better than on the lead single for the album, ‘Kathryn’. It’s simply huge, with fantastic catchy melodies and lyricism, and infectious rhythms that are guaranteed to get you moving. The dual vocals in the second verse are particularly enjoyable, with their slightly imperfect execution perfectly adding to the overall fun of the track.  

Even the (often briefly) softer moments on the album lose no impact. ‘Perfect Timing’ features more compelling guitar work in the slower sections of this track, as they intricately weave around the softer melodies and percussion, before the track kicks back up into a frenetic pace ‘Going Away For Awhile’ starts in a manner that is subtly evocative of perhaps bedroom indie, with simple instrumentation backing  distorted vocals, before the track reaches some of the rawest sounding choruses across the entire album.

Don’t mistake how fun this album is for a sign of it being meaningless. The lyricism deals with subjects such as vulnerability, adulthood in the modern world, and finding hope in the hopelessness, with the track ‘Growing Up’ in particular packing a resounding punch of bittersweet optimism. ‘Southeast of Somewhere’ is a recklessly hopeful sounding collection of tracks, but one that carries the acute awareness that comes with age that you aren’t invincible, and that there is a joy to be found in the slow moments.

This debut album is a slice of the 00’s and 10’s, when albums were longer and emo was king. But ‘Southeast of Somewhere’ isn’t made to try and replicate those days, but speak to the people who grew up through that and find themselves on the far side of 20 looking back fondly. It’s fun, yet impactful. Spirited, yet earnest. Kerosene Heights write from the heart and produce a killer debut in the process.

RATING: 80/100 – Very Good

For Fans Of: saturdays at your place, Bouquet, Home Is Where, Sunflo’er

Follow the band at the links below:

Twitter // Instagram // Threads // Bandcamp // Spotify

Physical copies of ‘Southeast of Somewhere’ available here.