“I know I’ll float in the deep end, like I’ve got nothing to lose.”
Australian pop punk unit Eat Your Heart Out rose to prominence with anthemic tracks “Drag Me Down” and “Patience“, which eventually developed into their sophomore EP, Carried Away. Packed with huge vocals and catchy hooks from Caitlin Henry, the group continued this on their third EP, Mind Games, which contained standout track “Conscience“. This marked Eat Your Heart Out as potentially one of Fearless Records next big acts. Their debut full-length Florescence, despite containing an absolute bop in the form of “Carousel“, didn’t quite meet the expectations. Now, with a few years to reflect and return to the drawing board out of the spotlight, Eat Your Heart Out remerge with Can’t Stay Forever.
While Can’t Stay Forever still contains much of the DNA of their previous records, there are tweaks and alterations in its pacing and songwriting that give it a new maturity and perspective. Tracks such as “Down” and “Twenty Something” provide the toe-tapping, singalong moments that will no doubt see their inclusion in Eat Your Heart Out’s live sets. The latter has the hallmarks of their 2017 material without the drawbacks of being too hook-reliant. Later track “Sour” lives in a similar vein, with a beautiful restrained moment lyrically and instrumentally in the bridge: “Bruising down to the bone just to feel something, then start it over when you shed your skin.”
What makes Can’t Stay Forever most impressive is the new avenues that Eat Your Heart Out have explored. Heading towards the end of the record, “Poison“, is their most gorgeous work to date. While in previous records the traditional “slower” tracks have opted towards acoustic guitar, this latest attempt sees plucked guitars blended with electronic ambience. In this ballad, Caitlin Henry displays why so many listeners have been entranced by her vocals over the years. These fragile moments are scattered across the record, whether in the delicate guitars between choruses on “Forget Me” or the vulnerable guitar tones and vocals on “Blood“.
Following this comes “Deep End“, which is among the band’s best material. Henry‘s vocals are the focus point, backed by some lovely guitar chords and apt keys before building up into a small crescendo. The accompanying keys here lend the track an extra layer of charm that leaves it stealing your heart. Rather than concluding on the sombre note that is “Deep End“, Can’t Stay Forever departs with the expansive “Headfirst“, reframing the vulnerability and introspection previously explored as optimism and hope. “Head first, closed eyes, I feel alive,” Henry joyfully sings on the closer.
With Can’t Stay Forever, Eat Your Heart Out have grown as a group and produced some of their strongest work since their early days. Whilst still containing plenty of vocal hooks and anthemic moments that can be stuck on a billboard, there is also much-needed new experimentation and songwriting that usher Eat Your Heart Out into a new era. With a sound overall that is nuanced and less direct, Can’t Stay Forever gives a new depth to Eat Your Heart Out that is very much worth diving into.
7/10
Can’t Stay Forever is out this Friday, September 9th, via Fearless Records, and can be pre-ordered here.