Love Crash Album by Block: Heartbreak Never Sounded This Good
You know love is something that we all wanna experience, but sometimes it comes at a cost that hurt as badly, so lemme ask, have you ever had a bad breakup that completely wrecked your sleep schedule? You know most times, staying awake until 4:00 AM leads to bad decisions, like ordering unnecessary items online or texting someone you should definitely ignore. This we all have in a way experience it, but for New York indie legend Block, that sleeplessness and bad broken heart which made some of us make bad decisions led to his first new studio album in thirteen years.
The thing is what breaks people, others use it as a motivation to rather grind harder and make the better of it. Now this brand-new record is titled “Love Crash,” and it’s an album that’s gonna have you repeating it over and over again. If you are a fan of old-school indie music, you probably remember Block. He was a major pioneer of the late 1990s anti-folk movement in New York City, running in the same circles as artists like Regina Spektor, Ani DiFranco, and The Moldy Peaches. Rolling Stone once called him a musical wonder who challenges convention, and SPIN Magazine compared his style to classic Beck.
Now after a long break, Block signed with Meridian last year, put out some remastered versions of his old catalog, and quickly watched his music pull in over a million streams worldwide. Now, he is celebrating a massive national comeback with a ten-track album that was produced by Chris Kuffner and mixed by Blake Morgan. According to Block, he wrote these songs while mining a very dark vein of heartbreak, and sometimes people say, pain brings the best in us, and he using each new melody as a ladder to pull himself out of a deep emotional hole.
Yet, despite the sad themes, the album is packed with his signature wit, quirky humor, and a genuine joy for life. Thus irrespective of whatever pain we go through, let us enjoy life and live off our happy moments instead of living in the pain. Before we take a look at the album, let’s grab a coffee, sit down, and talk about each of these tracks.
Welcoming listeners to an open atmosphere is the track “I Thought I Won The War.” I love how this track does a brilliant job of kicking the door wide open. It hits you with a gritty, bouncy rhythm that immediately brings to mind that classic, acoustic-meets-electronic style of early Beck. The lyrics handle the sudden shock of realizing a relationship is over right when you thought everything was going fine. This upbeat, clever track hides its heavy emotional bruises behind a very catchy, toe-tapping groove which makes it very interesting as it doesn’t just let you even know the emotions right away.
On the second track “California Calls,” you realize how this one takes a slightly different turn. It has this bright, sun-drenched melody that contrasts beautifully with the feeling of leaving your comfort zone behind. The guitars have a wonderful, loose jangle to them, making you feel like you are driving down a coastal highway with the windows rolled down, even if you are just sitting at your desk. It captures that classic indie rock vibe where the instrumentation feels relaxed, but the lyrics keep a sharp, intelligent edge.
When you get to “Over And Over,” you do realize how it’s easily one of the most addictive moments on the entire record. The song is all about that exhausting loop of overthinking your past mistakes. Sometimes you’ve got to leave the past behind and focus on the future. Those mistakes were made, learn from them and move on. I love the driving drum beat, then you see how those repetitive acoustic riff mimic that annoying mental cycle where you replay old arguments in your head late at night? It’s beautiful and I love Block’s vocal delivery, it’s really incredibly upfront and intimate here, making you feel like he is sitting right next to you, laughing at his own misfortune.
This track “Firefly,” which served as the final piece of the pre-release single trilogy, settles into a much softer, highly atmospheric groove. It features some beautiful, delicate guitar plucking and subtle background textures that feel like warm summer air. The lyrics look back at a fleeting moment of happiness, treating a lost love like a little bug that lights up for a second before disappearing back into the dark. It is a sweet, vulnerable highlight that shows off Block’s softer side.
Half way through the album is the track “All In My Head.” Now this song leans heavily into a lo-fi, folk-punk style. You can feel how intentional and raw the instrumentation is. It gives you that great, unfiltered basement show feeling. It is a short, punchy examination of self-doubt, where Block questions whether his problems are actually real or if he is just inventing drama because he does not know how to handle peace and quiet.
The sixth track “Song To Jamie,” is a deeply personal character study. Block has always been a master at writing songs about specific people and their quirks, and this track is no exception. It is built around a gentle piano melody and a warm acoustic guitar strum. The storytelling is incredibly descriptive, using small, everyday details to paint a portrait of a specific relationship. It feels like reading a private letter that you probably shouldn’t have found, but you can’t help but keep reading.
Well welcome to the pivot of the album, “The Heartbreak Song.” A song with such title, you might be thinking it’s a slow, depressing piano ballad that makes you want to crawl under your bed with tears. But nope, instead, Block gives us a bit of a humorous twist. He captures the absolute worst feeling in the world and packages it into a surprisingly upbeat, tongue-in-cheek track. Wow, it is a self-aware nod to the fact that every songwriter eventually has to write a breakup anthem, and he delivers his with a healthy dose of New York attitude.
Now with this track “Carly Says,” you can feel how wonderful, rhythmic energetic the song is. The bassline keeps things moving forward at a steady pace while Block trades lines with some excellent backing vocals. You know that moment where when crisis arise, your friends and close ones begin to give you advice and how hard it is to actually listen to good advice when you are busy feeling sorry for yourself. The pain, the pity and how you blame yourself for everything, it become very difficult to even listen to anything good.
The penultimate track is “No One Ever Taught Me How.” I can say this is easily the most vulnerable and exposed moment on the whole album. I love how the production strips away the big drums and loud guitars, leaving Block alone with his instruments. Then he sings openly about the terrifying feeling of being an adult and realizing you still have absolutely no clue how to navigate love, loss, or growing up. His voice sounds a bit cracked and tired, which fits the honest theme perfectly.
And now comes the final track on the album, “Still Life.” On most albums like these, it usually ends a sad note, but this final track feels like a deep breath of fresh air. The music expands into a gorgeous, uplifting finale that represents finally breaking through the dark clouds. Like after everything you’ve been through, now you can be bold enough that you made it to the end of the tunnel, you’ve been through it all and now you’re back to your best self. I love how the lyrics celebrate the simple, beautiful joy of still being here, breathing, and being ready to start over. It leaves you with a great sense of hope as the final chords ring out into silence.
To me, Block has proven that even after a thirteen-year break, his songwriting instincts are just as sharp as ever. “Love Crash” is a short, simple, and wonderfully human record that proves great art can come from the messiest parts of life. He is currently taking these new tracks out on a massive U.S. tour, so make sure to check his schedule if you want to experience these songs live.
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