Coming out May 3, 2011, on Dovecote Records, True Loves builds on Hooray for Earth's acclaimed debut EP, Momo, and captures both the personal and universal anxieties that have such a footing in contemporary times. Lead single "True Loves" thumps along neck-snapping drums, awash with blips and synths, surprising breakdowns and Heroux's soaringly languid vocals. Pitchfork has already compared the track favorably to artists like MGMT, Yeasayer and Passion Pit, while saying that "all the right elements are in place...[it] floats along and pounds forward at the same time, and one way or another it wants to carry you along with it." Meanwhile, Stereogum labeled the band one of "CMJ's heroes," taking particular note of Hooray for Earth's "nimble but unpretentious guitars" and "sense of progressive psychedelics and percussive progressions." The sound that has indie-culture's gatekeepers fawning is one that springs directly from Heroux's imagination into a climactic reality.
"I don't write music with an instrument, I usually just get an idea of what the whole song sounds like in my head, kind of like an earworm that stays with you after listening to the radio. My task is to recreate what's stuck in my head in actual audible form, as quickly as possible," he says. "I wish I could just plug a cord into my head...I think that's why the music tends to be a little dense, because I think of all these things at once."
Heroux wrote, recorded, and produced about 90% of the new album, with bassist Christopher Principe and guitarist/live synthist Gary Benacquista peppering parts in a few sessions, and drummer Joseph Ciampini adding two days of rooftop drum tracking. Mixed by Chris Coady (Beach House, Blonde Redhead, Delorean, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, TV on the Radio), the album might as well be a direct link to the exciting mind of Heroux. Hooray for Earth's progression is apparent everywhere on the record and boasts exciting things for a band that has already appeared onstage with Mission of Burma, Holy Fuck, Surfer Blood, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Oh No Ono, and many more. Recorded over five weeks in New York, it's at once specific to the summer of 2010 and transcendent of time itself. Once again, a happy set of extremes.
"Most of the [recording] process is just me getting lost and trying to get things done. I feel like I'm on autopilot sometimes. I'll finish a song and wonder, 'When did that happen?' I don't spend a lot of time stressing about what instruments to use or what's missing, I just kind of let it be."
True Loves
Hooray For Earth Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's a quiet heart
It's a quiet heart
It's a quiet heart like a car alarm
Hollow chest
It's a hollow chest
On a solemn quest
Under a world of sound
Hold her and hold her
Under a world of sound
Don't have to know
Under a world of sound
Hold her and hold her
Under a world of sound
I don't have to know
I'll make a choice and turn my head
I turn my head
I turn it inside out
I think you might be better off in the light
When you turn your head to the side
Why do you cry
It's a heart
It's a quiet heart
It's a quiet heart
It's a quiet heart like a car alarm
Under a world of sound
Hold her and hold her
Under a world of sound
Don't have to know
Under a world of sound
Hold her and hold her
Under a world of sound
I don't have to know
The lyrics of Hooray for Earth's song True Loves seem to be exploring the concept of a quiet heart, which is compared to a car alarm. The idea of a quiet heart implies someone who appears to be calm and composed on the surface but might be feeling tumultuous emotions within. The hollow chest mentioned in the next line adds to the sense of emptiness or lack of fulfillment they might be feeling in their life. Despite this, they seem to be on a mission to bring a guest into their arms, potentially looking for love or companionship to fill the void in their heart.
Under a world of sound, the singer finds solace in holding someone they care about, and they don't need to know anything beyond that moment of connection. The line "I'll make a choice and turn my head," could be interpreted as the singer struggling to make a decision about something in their life but ultimately turning away from it, unable or unwilling to confront it. They might feel they're better off in the light and find themselves comforting someone else who is crying.
The final lines bring the theme of the quiet heart back, suggesting that despite the attempt to find love or connect with someone else, they're still haunted by an underlying sense of emptiness or unease that they compare to a car alarm.
Overall, True Loves seems to be a contemplative yet hopeful reflection on the human experience of seeking love, comfort, and connection in the midst of ongoing struggles and uncertainties.
Line by Line Meaning
Quiet heart
The singer's heart is at peace.
It's a quiet heart
The singer reiterates that their heart is at peace.
It's a quiet heart
The singer reiterates that their heart is at peace.
It's a quiet heart like a car alarm
The artist's heart is quietly alert, like a car alarm.
Hollow chest
The artist's chest feels empty and sorrowful.
It's a hollow chest
The singer reiterates that their chest feels empty and sorrowful.
On a solemn quest
The singer is on a serious mission.
To bring a guest into your arms
The artist wants to bring someone into their embrace.
Under a world of sound
The artist and their partner are surrounded by noise.
Hold her and hold her
The artist wants to embrace their partner.
Don't have to know
The singer is content not to know everything about their partner.
Under a world of sound
The artist and their partner are surrounded by noise.
Hold her and hold her
The singer wants to embrace their partner.
Under a world of sound
The singer and their partner are surrounded by noise.
I don't have to know
The singer is content not to know everything about their partner.
I'll make a choice and turn my head
The artist will make a decision and look the other way.
I turn my head
The artist looks away.
I turn it inside out
The singer puts their own thoughts and feelings aside for a moment.
I think you might be better off in the light
The singer thinks that their partner would be happier in a different situation.
When you turn your head to the side
The artist notices their partner's behavior.
Why do you cry
The artist wonders why their partner is upset.
It's a heart
The artist is referring to their organ of emotion and love.
It's a quiet heart
The singer's heart is at peace.
It's a quiet heart
The artist reiterates that their heart is at peace.
It's a quiet heart like a car alarm
The singer's heart is quietly alert, like a car alarm.
Under a world of sound
The singer and their partner are surrounded by noise.
Hold her and hold her
The singer wants to embrace their partner.
Under a world of sound
The artist and their partner are surrounded by noise.
Don't have to know
The artist is content not to know everything about their partner.
Under a world of sound
The singer and their partner are surrounded by noise.
Hold her and hold her
The singer wants to embrace their partner.
Under a world of sound
The artist and their partner are surrounded by noise.
I don't have to know
The artist is content not to know everything about their partner.
Contributed by Camden N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@azozbobo483
Why this track is not popular I always come back to it ...just a masterpiece
@falcoperegrinus82
Same!
@AlexGeerken
i just sifted my brain through 10 years of memories to unearth this gem and bring it back into my life
@kennypowers7759
Me too. Just rediscovered it. I couldn't remember the details of it but I knew that the song and video was amazing.
@serendankitymcgee3594
Dude, and it still smacks
@jurena619
@Kenny Powers Dont forget to listen to his other band with his wife… Mass Gothic… great songs!
@daringrimes7159
I did the same thing!!!!
@chriscraft77022
ive been looking for this song for 9 years.. thank you pandora
@herepuffpuff9007
Still the best single I’ve heard in the last 20 years.
@popsicklepopsickle4601
God I love this track