Music Review: The Blancos, Heartless Romantic EP

By Tyler Hodg

A regrettable fact of music fandom is that it’s easy to come across inauthentic, materialistic garbage. Thankfully, the first offering from New York duo The Blancos—an EP titled Heartless Romantic—may be the most genuine collection of songs you will have the privilege of hearing. While their hip-hop/indie fusion sound includes familiar elements you may have heard before, Heartless Romantic is organically progressive and in a league of its own.

It’s inspiring to see The Blancos’ ability to balance both artistic and commercial value, without compromising creativity or musical freedom. Equally as impressive is the fact that Heartless Romantic is just the start for the group. Their immense potential is refreshing, and knowing there may be better music to come is good news for everyone.

From the first track to the last, Heartless Romantic features exclusively stand-out songs. “Heartless Romantic” kicks things off, and its ultimate strength stems from its soulfulness, which actually finds its way into each of the other songs. The second track, “Lemon Garden, may be the catchiest on the EP, but the haunting sounds of “She Calls It Love” are what stays with you long after the album is done. “Bathroom” has all of the components to become a major hit, and the track leads into the equally impressive “Love’s Impossible.” Closing out the EP is “Losing Sleep”, a song tailored to show off the intensity of the vocals of the group. Short and sweet, Heartless Romantic clocks in at only 16 minutes. Listening to it makes you feel as if you’ve been given candy, only to have it ripped away from you after a few licks.

There are two stages of living: life before hearing The Blancos, and life after hearing The Blancos. The group’s brilliant sound serves as a palate cleanser and will undoubtedly leave its listeners optimistic about the future of the group. What makes this EP special is its authenticity; nothing seems forced or inorganic and it’s a relief to hear something this formidable. Ultimately, words can’t truly describe the merit of Heartless Romantic; only listening will bring justice to its musical relevance.

Heartless Romantic was self-released on April 15, 2014. The EP is available for free on the The Blancos’ Soundcloud page.