Review: The Heartbreaks @ Deaf Institute, Manchester

Despite hailing from the coastal climes of Morecambe, whenever The Heartbreaks play Manchester there’s always a sense of it being something of a homecoming with the city having taken the devilishly handsome troupe well and truly into its bosom. This Deaf Institute date was part deux of two sold out shows ahead of the release of the band’s sophomore album in the coming months and with a heavy throng of impassioned fans in tow, its graceful surroundings provided a thoroughly apt setting for their storm.

What was strikingly obvious from the off was that the four jocund boys on the shingle with a glint in their eye have been replaced with 4 (five with added guitarist Oliver) debonair voguish men. And it’s not just their look that’s matured, there’s a distinct sense that their ability to be cutting without venom and acidic with sugar has intensified somewhat.

Whilst still subscribing to the “don’t bore us get to the chorus” school of thought, their newer offerings continue to be aggressively tuneful and willfully anthemic. The likes of ‘Absolved’ powering to the chorus flooded with buzzsaw guitar and shunting vital drumming from Joe Kondras. 

Upcoming single ‘Hey, Hey Lover’ (out on February 17th, watch the video above) provided magnetic frontman Matthew Whitehouse with an opportunity to showcase his eccentrically nimble voice and gift the crowd a raucous sing-a-long. Lead guitarist Ryan Wallace decked out with a dreamy Gretsch White Falcon cut a fine figure under the glare of the venue’s infamous glitter ball, his brisk and lean riffs administering dead-on accompaniment to Deaks’ more honeyed bass lines throughout.

First album favourites ‘Polly’ and ‘Liar, My Dear’ were resurrected, once again ear worming their way in and allowing the desiring congregation to jump up and down and discard reality for a bit.  But it’s the coupling of their parting gifts ‘Delay Delay’ and ‘I Didn’t Think It Would Hurt To Think Of You’ that really sent this Saturday night spiralling. Slowly quickening drum pulses, melodic upscales and fiery like-their-life-depended-on it vocals reminded us just how euphoric timeless indie-pop can be - and boy are these scamps on the money in that department. 

What ensued was a love-in that saw the stage invaded with the most impassioned members of the crowd and a young man gleefully interrupt Whitehouse mid crooning for a selfie. We left with a very lucid sense that The Heartbreaks, as dramatic as it sounds, are a band of the people,  their cult following amongst young men in the North West most evident. And we’ve a sneaky suspicion that this next chapter is going to see the rest of the country cotton on and fall hopelessly in love too. 

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