Sorry Holly exceed all expectations on Post Punk gem, "Use Your Heart"
The Portland-based trio Sorry Holly doesn’t just make music—they unleash it. With their long-awaited debut album, Use Your Heart, they’ve crafted a genre-bending masterpiece that surges with raw energy, emotional honesty, and the kind of post-punk grit that feels both nostalgic and refreshingly modern. This is the sound of a band that’s been waiting a decade to pour their hearts out—and they do it with every distorted riff, thunderous beat, and anguished lyric.
Recorded in Chicago’s Type One Studios with producer Simon Small, Use Your Heart is a love letter to those we’ve lost, whether through love, time, or life’s unpredictable twists. But it’s not an album that dwells in quiet mourning. Instead, it howls, thrashes, and stomps, delivering a cathartic experience that’s as fun to mosh to as it is to reflect on during a late-night drive.
The opening track, “Earth Tones and Pastels”, sets the tone with jagged guitars and pounding drums that explode into a chorus dripping with equal parts frustration and yearning. From there, the album oscillates between massive emo-rock anthems and moody, introspective cuts that allow the band’s post-punk influences to shine. Think Joy Division meets My Chemical Romance, but with a distinctly modern twist.
Tracks like “Hell Is Paved” and “Bianca” showcase the band’s ability to merge blistering instrumentals with deeply personal lyrics, capturing the duality of feeling both alive and utterly devastated. Meanwhile, the whole record is really a standout—a sprawling epic that builds from brooding basslines to a crescendo of face-melting guitar solos and vocalist Kevin’s impassioned cries.
But Use Your Heart isn’t just an emotional gut-punch—it’s fun. Sorry Holly knows how to make heartbreak sound thrilling. The production is tight yet raw, allowing every cymbal crash and jagged chord to hit with full force, while the vocals—alternately smooth and strained—add a layer of urgency that keeps the listener hooked.
What makes Use Your Heart truly special is its balance of chaos and control. It’s an album that feels unfiltered and visceral, yet meticulously crafted. Each track flows seamlessly into the next, creating a narrative arc that feels both universal and deeply personal. They know how to create energetic sprawling moments that are sparsed with more introspective lyrical moments.
With their debut, Sorry Holly has not only delivered one of the most electrifying post-punk records in recent memory but also cemented themselves as a band to watch. Use Your Heart is a triumphant reminder that music doesn’t just reflect our emotions—it amplifies them. Whether you’re looking to exorcise your demons in the pit or nurse a broken heart with headphones on, this is an album that delivers.
Sorry Holly didn’t just use their hearts—they put them on full display, and the result is nothing short of remarkable. Listen loud and follow along for more by clicking those links below!
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