Heartworms : Glutton for Punishment
Since the release of Glutton for Punishment, the debut album by London’s Heartworms, the album has gained a great deal of buzz in the goth underground, with critics and podcasters proclaiming it as one of the best darkwave albums of the year. Despite such claims, it’s not as dark as you might be led to believe, but nonetheless a well-written, hooky post-punk album with a pop whimsy to it. The guitar-oriented nature of Jojo Orme’s songs provide a contrast to the electronic elements in a manner that feels more like the soundtrack to a steampunk fantasy tale than invoking the Halloween imagery associated with goth.
Orme’s guitars prove capable of delivering the needed jagged tension once associated with post-punk, even when being juggled against the electronic elements layered in the mix. Her strength lies in her ability as a songwriter, allowing her to step outside the confines of genres, placing hooks in the chanted refrains of her odd little alt-pop ditties that would not have been out of place on the radio in the mid-’90s.
An atmospheric moodiness pervades “Extraordinary Wings,” which also provides a showcase for Jojo’s vocal colors that range from an alluring purr to a playful croon. The brightest display of the album’s dramatic pop can be found on the dynamic bounce of “Warplane.” “Celebrate” marries lo-fi beats with dream-pop tendencies. It’s not dark enough to be darkwave, but the arrangement unfolds in a manner that carries an air of mystery similar to a 1940s carnival.
There is more of a wandering rock feel to ‘Smugglers Adventure” that finds Orme flirting with the expected Siouxsie-like tendencies. However, when it comes to gaining traction in the goth scene, it’s not a song that will make the dance floor churn, unless remixed by a forward-thinking DJ who mashed it up with Portishead or Nine Inch Nails. But latex-clad slithering is not her objective—Orme crafts a soundtrack to an urban fairy tale, before taking an adventurous turn into folk rock, by picking up the pace. This shifts the narrative setting to something that feels more like frolicking with hippies on a grassy knoll than grinding the night away in the smoky confines of clove clove-scented club.
What catches the ears of dark music fans is not any deep brooding going on here, but Orme’s refusal to conform to any one mood or genre, instead sprinkling hints of sounds collected in her musical DNA without having to hang onto the coattails of any one artist or bandwagon. That is what makes this album so much fun, growing on you with each infectious listen as you notice what she has hidden in the layers of her fanciful dream world.
Label: Speedy Wunderground
Year: 2025
Similar Albums:
Heartworms : Glutton for Punishment
Note: When you buy something through our affiliate links, Treble receives a commission. All albums we cover are chosen by our editors and contributors.
