Clare Maguire wears an early ’60s, “Wall of Sound” throwback on her sleeve for “Half Hearted Love.” Yet, in an odd and welcome twist, none of Phil Spector’s squashed dynamics are recalled, as the tune relies solely on her powerful and at times husky voice to move the tune’s errant energy foreword. It’s a remarkably dynamic recording, in fact, and proof that the overcompressed norm could inject more personality in a track by leaving more space between the instruments of a busy arrangement. The closest thing in recent memory with this kind of jarring, engaging flow would be Fiona Apple’s latest LP, with that record calling less upon the reinvention of old studio tropes. “Half Hearted Love” was co-written by Jarvis Cocker and, regardless of that fact, has our interest piqued. Hear it above.
