Nai Harvest

Hold Open My Head (2014)

RENALDO69

There's something about the sheer volume of bands coming out the woodworks with all their emo-glory. Don't get me wrong, it ain't the numbers I'm concerned about, but it's the quality of music. It's really fucking good and so impressionable. Hold Open My Head is yet another to add to the win column and fans of Nai Harvest would definitely attest to this being one of their best musical outlays.

"Rush" is exemplary of their upbeat emo-indie repertoire. Floored in catchy hooks, snazzy kitwork and warm 'oohs' for a breezy, indie feel all justify why this two-piece from Sheffield is worth the pickup. They canvas a lot of their music on introspective themes with a succinct mainstream sound. The opener flows into what seems like a direct sequel in the title-track. A twinkly intro linked to a slow, melodic pace before crafty little start/stop guitar arrangements all structure the track beautifully for one of their best compositions to date. A pop-punkish bridge in between adds flair for good measure to compound the different sounds they play in.

There's more than a little homage to Small Brown Bike on "Pastel" which builds into a higher-pace, vibrant indie-punk setup. There isn't a great degree of variation in each track as it opens but mid-way through, all tracks diverge dynamically to add a new dimension to the respective song. This does feel like the epitome of Nai Harvest and as "I Don't Even Know" rounds off the four-tracker, with a ballad-esque vibe which segues once more, into a quicker indie/alternative step-up, you can see something very cool looming for this duo. Their emo aura is stripped down, in a good way. Evidently, I will back their reputation growing through this release because it's highly accessible a sound and filled with impact in under 15 minutes.