Debut album from Sorry Holly

Based in Portland, Oregon, Sorry Holly is an exciting post punk outfit with a decade of history behind their sound. Though life’s twists and turns kept them apart for several years, 2023 marked a triumphant turning point for the trio when they headed to Chicago’s Type One Studios to record their original material with producer Simon Small.

Unveiling their sound last May with their first single “Earth Tones,” they’ve followed up with singles two and three while winning over fans, clocking tens of thousands of spins and signing to the Sad Times Productions imprint. Now they bring us the perfect run through of their shared sonic vision with their brand new debut full-length record titled Use Your Heart.

The twelve-track album presents a poignant and personal dedication to lost loves and forgotten friends, threading poetic themes into a sonic fabric of emotive noise and explosive energy. From start to finish, Use Your Heart offers a thrilling rock ride designed to evoke a nostalgic and emotional response from listeners.

Jumping straight in with the crunch of guitar chords on opening track “Earth Tones and Pastels,” the crash of drums sets up a charging rock sound as the expressive vocal leads enter to spin bright melodic lines above. Crafting a wall-of-sound level of sonic impact, the track delivers a potent punch of raucous post punk that’s energising and memorable in equal measure.

“Dental” follows with gritty, stuttering guitar rhythms before pulsing bass lines and splashing drums usher in the contrast of airy vocal leads. Brimming with twanging guitar tones, lively percussion and delicate vocal melodies that hover above the consuming noise of the arrangement, the song flows through moments of stripped-back acoustic aesthetic before the bold, half-time march of the finale.

With “Cauchy-Euler” they frame their sound in a breezy acoustic intro before the instrumentation erupts with storming drums and slick guitar layers to offer an enthralling listening experience full of epic ebb and flow throughout. Other highlights on the record include tracks like “SJC” with its uptempo rhythmic bounce, commanding vocal performance and infectious melodic writing wrapped up in a rousing rock arrangement.

“Lost and Found” serves up an anthemic sound of enveloping energy and charged atmosphere caped by riveting vocal hooks in the chorus. Closing the album with title-track “Use Your Heart,” the band lays down a minimal scene of lo-fi acoustic guitar backing and hushed vocal delivery to craft a gentle and moving final moment that perfectly concludes their incredible first LP. Having made an emphatic entrance on their breakout year, Sorry Holly has started 2025 with an astounding artistic statement via their debut album, a release that most certainly marks them as a must-watch act and signals an exciting road ahead.

Listen to Use Your Heart below