Released in 2018, Springtime and Blind is the debut album by Fiddlehead, a Boston band bringing together musicians from respected acts in the hardcore scene, notably Have Heart and Basement. This nervy, concise melodic hardcore strikes with its emotional density: singer Patrick Flynn explores grief, particularly for his father, with raw honesty. You feel from the outset that this is not a mere side project but a personal necessity, carried by seasoned musicians who know exactly where they are going.
A quiet supergroup
The record moves fast and straight to the point, with short, energetic songs that never linger. The guitars, at once melodic and cutting, recall the golden age of 1990s melodic hardcore while keeping a freshness of their own. The rhythm section constantly pushes forward, with no dead time, and the whole holds over a short running length that heightens its impact. There is no fat, no filler: each song hits, says what it has to say, and makes way for the next.
Sorrow as engine
What sets Fiddlehead apart is Flynn’s spoken-shouted vocals, halfway between a hardcore scream and urgent declamation. His lyrics, heavy with sorrow but never self-indulgent, give the record a depth that goes beyond mere catharsis. You come away moved, as if from an intimate conversation. The band manages to turn a very personal pain into something universal, without ever overplaying it or sinking into self-pity, which is no small feat when the subject is grief.
The strength of concision
One might regret the brevity of the whole, which flies by in a short half hour and sometimes leaves you wanting more. A few songs would deserve to breathe further, to develop their ideas a little more before stopping. But this economy is also part of the record’s charm: it gives it a concentrated intensity, a punchy quality that fits the hardcore aesthetic perfectly.
Springtime and Blind is a controlled and deeply human debut that confirms melodic hardcore still has a lot to say. Sincere and cathartic, it amply deserves the attention of fans of the genre, and it laid the foundations of a trajectory the band would go on to refine with consistency.
