SideASideB, Steve Sobs, Ports of Spain, Crown Jewel

Following last year's bedroom pop gem "Pretty", Steve Sobs (aka Brooklyn's Eric Littmann) plunges into an uncharted forest and emerges with "Heavy Heart", a string of ten effortless and quietly inviting new tracks."You're in your hometown checking your old hangs, your old ideas" Littmann sings on one such tune. This is nostalgia but a breed that always reaches upward. These are your hardwood floors , the portraits on your mantle. "Heavy Heart" finds a corner in your home and stays there.

"Heavy Heart" was inspired by a difficult breakup that fragmented a network of close friends and the resulting aimless suburban free fall. Most of the album was
recorded in Eric's New York City studio apartment last May. It was mastered by Orchid Tapes founder Warren Hildebrand (Foxes In Fiction).


From the back of the bar, Ports of Spain instantly scan as a full band, so it's a shock to discover their mathy shoegaze-pop is constructed by just two musicians . Ilya Gitelman uses octave pedals and loops to play lead, bass and rhythm guitar simultaneously, while Sam Carlson contributes vocals, keyboards and drums. Don't be fooled -- Ports of Spain are not another band that trades directionless loopy jazz odysseys for pure songcraft. Their equipment never gets in the way of their complex melodies. They write actual songs, consistently avoiding complication for the sake of complication. They juggle tons of ideas in every song, creating a noise that's consistently about to fall apart. That it doesn't is incredible by itself. Their brilliant songs may seem like a bonus under these circumstances, but don't underrate Ports of Spain. Even as these two guys spew chaos into crowded clubs, their songwriting is always there to remind you why a grounding in planned songcraft keeps so many of the best bands tethered to excellence. Ports of Spain belong in their company. Ports of Spain have played with bands like Tera Melos, Hospitality, Beach Fossils, Fang Island, Pissed Jeans, Pile, ONWE, Speedy Ortiz, Morning Teleportation, Kal Marks, and Solids.