Stale Heart is the new single from Neon Coast, real name Travis Crawford, and it’s a belter in the vein of Springsteen - the sound of an aching heart plodding on tired legs towards an unknown destination with just enough hope to continue.
There is a steady rim shot that feels like the momentum of those plodding legs, the thing that keeps us going. Layers of guitar create our gutfull of hope and eventually the vocals tentatively soar, reaching for the stars. It’s like our tired old legs and worn out heart can’t really keep us down... They never could, not when there are people in the world who can make things feel right.
Stale Heart is about the period following a break-up, when it can be hard to feel things, and the need to push against that:
“If you’ve loved someone and it ends, the time after it’s over can often be characterized by a lack of emotion and ability to connect to other people. Sometimes with those really deep connections, that period can last for years.
“To not be able to return to that place of emotion and feeling can be a frustrating experience, which ironically is a powerful emotion itself. This song is about that struggle; the process of trying to crawl out of that hole to find closure and come to terms with your situation.”
This song captures that struggle so perfectly. I still feel. I’m still here with my beating heart.