Texas-based American Rock band Remain recently announced their new single “The Heart Beats On” to be released on August 2nd. “The Heart Beats On” is the second single from the band’s upcoming full-length LP Millennial Nation, set for release on September 1st. While the band’s first single “City of July” draws on the theme of arriving at a destination as individuals, a generation, or a nation, “The Heart Beats On” focuses on the journey of seeking direction.
As an album, Millennial Nation functions to illustrate a larger coming-of-age story. Each song on the album is a commentary on the journey, the struggle, and the adaptations we all have to make as we navigate the world both personally as individuals and collectively as a nation. For example, the previously released title track admits struggle and reveals hope in the willingness to move on in the spirit of better days, and the single “City of July” focuses on the idea of arriving at a destination. Their new single fits seamlessly into the overarching theme of the album.
“The Heart Beats On” bursts with energetic, gritty electric guitar and a driving kick and snare pattern that draws an automatic head-bop from any listener. The lead vocals are emotive and powerful, and the moving delivery infuses the song with emotion, allowing the listener to dive into insightful lyrics like, “And the heart of the matter is a matter of the heart.” At its deepest level, the song touches on the ‘something’ that inexplicably defies our reason and understanding that we rely on to help us discover our right path. The person in the song is seeking direction and seems to be haunted by what may or may not happen. They need a direction, a job to do, and they are in search of the thing that will fulfill them in this life. Though they are searching for this revelation to free them from the chains of unknowing, they are not free yet; however, they are waiting for the arrival of that freedom away from the path they have currently chosen, as the current path is the only way they know how to live. They wander, and they take it to the edge of the physical and spiritual. This characteristic is something that we all have, and always will have. It’s the struggle to discover what is in your heart and what lies beyond.
The band has found a way to use music rooted in alt-rock with unique lyricism to discuss complex issues and common experiences that tie us all together. This approach is distinctive to Remain, and serves to create an everlasting legacy that demonstrates how universal our experiences often are. As the band says, things seen are temporary; only unseen things will Remain.
Millennial Nation was set to be released in April 2020. As COVID-19 hit, Remain decided to hold off on releasing the debut LP, let the pandemic pass, and hopefully clear the way for a more impactful release.
Things seen are temporary, only unseen things will Remain.
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