Brooklyn’s Hank Heaven channels their very own humanity and vulnerability into ten achingly evocative songs on debut album ‘Loaded Cube,’ a fantastically tender, brutally uncooked document reckoning with love and loss, playing, and habit.
Stream: “Most of All” – Hank Heaven ft. Renny Conti
With the percentages perpetually stacked towards us and a lot at stake, it’s no surprise love looks like a betting sport.
Solely as an alternative of wagering cash, we’re wagering our hearts.
And whereas the wins are that a lot better, so, too, are the losses.
“If I can wager on it, I’m gonna wager on it,” Hank Heaven sings on the high of their debut album. “Fortunate mom*ers don’t play by the foundations.” But as we come to study over the subsequent half hour, (a) there aren’t any ‘guidelines’ relating to love, and (b) no matter luck we assume we have now can flip bitter right away.
It will not be the ‘healthiest’ strategy to intimacy and romance, however you’ll be able to’t fault the attitude; in spite of everything, past intestine emotions, it additionally comes all the way down to science: The components of the mind that enable us to expertise love are the identical ones that reward a ‘large win’ on the slot machines.
The one downside, in fact, is that after we flip love right into a sport to be performed, relatively than an emotion – a life! – to be shared with a particular somebody, then everyone finally loses. Hank Heaven channels their very own humanity and vulnerability into ten achingly evocative songs on Loaded Cube, a fantastically tender, brutally uncooked album reckoning with love and loss, playing, and habit.
Throwing up rocks making it depend
Outdoors your window gained’t you come out
Stored your mild on you stayed awake
Ready up for me simply gotta say
I’m seeing diamonds in your eyes
assume I’ll love you forever
It doesn’t matter what they make me do
I don’t want no crystal ball
I’ll all the time love you most of all
Till the solar begins turning blue
It’s all the time gonna be
It’s all the time gonna be you
– “Most of All,” Hank Heaven
Independently launched November 15th, 2024, Loaded Cube is a seductive and soul-stirring longform introduction to Hank Heaven. The Brooklyn-based artist’s emotionally charged debut album arrives as a reintroduction, in some ways, to the singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who debuted mononymously as ‘Hank’ simply two years in the past.
In that includes Hank’s debut EP Name Me Hank final yr, Atwood Journal praised their seamless mix of genres and genuine feelings. “Cool, assured, and achingly unfiltered, Name Me Hank is a stunning coming-of-age document filled with uncooked ardour and actual ache, cathartic nation and hypnotic hyperpop, and every part in-between,” we wrote on the time.
Hank discovered their voice in tales that bridged actuality and fantasy and songs that blurred style traces. Sounds, kinds, and worlds collided on the passionate and uncooked, feverish and fragile Name Me Hank, a singular introduction that got here into being with the assistance of Hippo Campus’ dynamic frontman and producer Jake Luppen (Charly Bliss, Samia) and co-writer Raffaella Meloni, who performs as Raffaella (Atwood Journal featured her EP, LIVE, RAFF, LOVE (ACT II), earlier this yr).
Loaded Cube leans rather less closely on hyperpop than among the artist’s previous releases, as an alternative dwelling in that ethereal house between indie people, indie pop, and ‘indie twang.’ It’s the proper technique to debut a brand new title with a extra centered, but no much less expansive, sound.
“I needed to individualize extra,” they are saying of the title change (or actually, growth). “‘Heaven’ appeared like a reputation that would tackle many types as who I’m as an artist adjustments.”
Hank Heaven as soon as once more teamed up with Jake Luppen to provide their album, recording with him in Minneapolis. Whereas the document is indisputably conceptual in nature, Hank Heaven wrote all of it from a spot of non-public expertise. “It was so susceptible for me to jot down and speak about, that I started fascinated with it on this idea of a gambler’s life,” they inform Atwood Journal. “It follows these highs and lows of somebody with an habit. This actually allowed for the vulnerabilities of the songs to come back ahead.”
“I didn’t have the gambler idea in thoughts after I first began writing it, however after recording among the tracks it was clear that the document has lots to do with loneliness and disgrace It was comforting to jot down about it from a distinct narrative than my very own. I believe as time went on, I started to actually lean into these emotions.”
They candidly describe Loaded Cube as cheeky, susceptible, and gritty. The album’s title is one other nod to the playing metaphor, and one which helps convey the music’s full imaginative and prescient into perspective. “Loaded Cube is what they name cube which can be weighted,” they clarify. “It signifies that irrespective of how a lot you wager, the percentages can be towards you and you can be left with nothing.”
Highlights abound on the journey from album opener “Reno” to nearer “Want It Had been You” – a musical and emotional journey that introduces us to our playing protagonist and sees them put their coronary heart and soul by means of the wringer again and again. Songs like “Matchstick,” “Beloved” (that includes Seashore Bunny), “Most of All” (that includes Renny Conti), and “Gracie” hit the toughest on a visceral degree, whereas extra upbeat tracks like “Plan 2,” “Designer Canine,” and “GPS” show as irresistibly catchy as they’re achingly expressive.
Hank Heaven describes “Most of All,” a real love track with bittersweet undertones, as one among their favorites, including that “GPS” has turn out to be a sleeper favourite.
“It’s about searching for common fact and the way typically what you consider to be an intrinsic fact finally ends up being just a bit off,” they are saying of the latter track. “Simply hold looking!”
In the meantime their favourite lyrics comes within the album’s finale: “The city’s mad ‘trigger the dust street runs into the streams kills the creek life however I like the way in which it feels on my toes.”
“I believe the thesis of this album is how while you stray from who you actually are, you’re left feeling extraordinarily lonely,” they clarify. “I put this track on the finish as a result of it’s the character’s last take a look at their life. They’re accepting of their actions and so they verbalize what they actually need: To be an excellent particular person.”
I might’ve taken the excessive street
however that’s not someplace you might go
Would’ve given every part I wrote
to make use of all of it as your individual
Then you definately went on and crossed me
within the quietest manner
So then I left for the excessive street
however I kinda needed to remain
Sucks being alone
hating you, I did you a favor
Sucks holding a grudge
with somebody beloved
who’ll simply use you later
Finally, Loaded Cube proves a fascinating introduction to Hank Heaven’s artistry and humanity, whereas taking listeners on an emotional rollercoaster journey by means of love, playing, and habit.
“I believe this album gave me the house and readability to lean into my strengths,” Hank Heaven shares. “I noticed writing it that I like to story inform by means of my songs, and though I grew up primarily as an instrumentalist, lyrics imply a lot to me. I believe this album let me step into myself as a songwriter.”
They proceed, “I hope individuals can relate to the sentiments of loneliness and that it’s okay to make errors and that doesn’t make you a foul particular person. It’s about accepting your faults and transferring ahead.”
Expertise the complete document through our under stream, and peek inside Hank Heaven’s Loaded Cube with Atwood Journal as they take us track-by-track by means of the music and lyrics of their debut album!
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:: stream/buy Loaded Cube right here ::
:: join with Hank Heaven right here ::
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Stream: ‘Loaded Cube’ – Hank Heaven
:: Inside Loaded Cube ::
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Reno
The guitar and the strings give me Toy Story vibes and that felt very becoming to start this story. I needed the album to be conceptual and inform the story of the rise and fall of a gambler. “Reno” is the introduction to this character.
Designer Canine
The start of the album focuses on the rise of the gambler and their delusional makes an attempt at “successful” love. It’s a enjoyable track however within the scope of the album is definitely fairly unhappy as a result of the character is out of contact with themselves and actuality.
Matchstick
This one is about actuality setting in and making the exhausting resolution of letting somebody go earlier than it will get ugly.
Plan 2
The character begins to look inward and desires to raised themselves however retains messing it up. Like while you say you’re not going out tonight after which instantly it’s 6 AM and also you’re rolling on the Rockaways. It occurs.
Most of All (ft. Renny Conti)
This one ended up being one among my favourite tracks on the document. It’s a love track however within the entirety of the album it’s once more sort of unhappy. The character is betting every part on this relationship.
GPS
I like this track a lot. It’s about searching for common fact and the way typically what you consider to be an intrinsic fact finally ends up being just a bit off. Simply hold looking!
Beloved (ft. Seashore Bunny)
I believe that is the purpose of the document the place this gambler begins getting in contact with how they’re deeply feeling. They’re hurting and leaning into that. I bear in mind writing it and I used to be simply indignant. All I might provide you with was “Sucks being alone hating you.” There’s a whole lot of loneliness in hate. I needed to have a function on this track as a result of loneliness is such a common expertise.
Glass
There’s a loneliness in ready for forgiveness and I needed to jot down a track speaking about that. It’s the purpose of the document the place the character sees their life clearly. They’re left to attempt to mend their relationships within the wake of their playing habit.
Gracie
I like home music and needed to have one EDM track on the document. It’s actually about discovering somebody who reveals you that you’re worthy of affection. It reveals the character rising by acknowledging how treasured that’s and selecting to place it apart to heal themselves.
Want It Had been You
I believe the thesis of this album is how while you stray from who you actually are, you’re left feeling extraordinarily lonely. I put this track on the finish as a result of it’s the character’s last take a look at their life. They’re accepting of their actions and so they verbalize what they actually need: To be an excellent particular person.
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