“Heart It Races” – Architecture in Helsinki
(Words/music: Cameron Bird and Architecture in Helsinki, available on Places Like This, Polyvinyl 2007)

For all of the over-analysis that people (especially people like me) lend to music, some music speaks to us on an instinctive level.  This is the great leveling power of music; a great piece can transcend culture and time in order to connect with people with little in common.  These works find the specific notes that convey a specific meaning.  Some parts might get lost in translation (complex lyrical images, for instance), but certain songs implicitly communicate with their audience.

“Heart It Races” works this way for me.  Even though the lyrics are in my native language, I have no clue what they’re singing in most of the lines, rendering any type of brilliant narrative or profound imagery useless for me.  Instead, I’m drawn to this song for two specific reasons.  First, the rhythm connects in a primal way.  It’s the type of thing that makes me want to bang along on my desk or on my leg – I know I’ve done this in public and I’m glad that I’m oblivious to the stares and weird looks from other people.  The band knows what they’re working with as well, as they’ve made the percussion punchy and impossible to ignore (not that you’d want to ignore it).  Still, it’s the melody along with this primal beat that makes “Heart It Races” work for me.  Even if I can’t understand they lyrics and the voices are a little shrill, the melody feels uplifting.  The whole thing sounds like a weirdly joyous incantation, where the band wants to have a good time.  You don’t need me to tell you this, as one listen will be enough to entice you to join in.

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