Urban Heat - “A Simple Love Song”

SXSW 2022 - OEB Score: 7; Popularity Index: 3 

Pairs Well With… David Bowie, The Human League, A-Ha

Jonathan Horstmann, formerly of electro-punk band BLXPLTN, founded Urban Heat as a pandemic necessity. After the birth of his daughter two years ago, Horstmann started working with sample-based music he could create by headphones so as not to wake the baby. He ultimately settled for analog synthesizer sounds, and with his band, has created a blend of 80’s synthwave meets punk and industrial goth. While largely transporting the listener back to the 80s, the music has some modern edges that add freshness to the sound.

One of the best tracks is “A Simple Love Song,” which might be better described as an apocalyptic love song. (“Well, I heard the newsman say the world was ending, so I walked across town to where you stay, and on my way, I picked a flower. I was going to give it to you, but before I could get there it burst into flames). The song builds suspense with drum machine percussion and a synth line, followed by speak-singing vocals and then a Bowie-esque chorus. Similarly, “That Gun in Your Hand” starts out with a synth riff that pays homage to LCD Soundsystem with lyrics that lament the current gun violence epidemic. While somber in theme, Horstman’s dramatic and romantic delivery and the steady disco beats, give Urban Heat a fun and danceable vibe. Thus, while I would never have admitted it in the 80s, when we were still burning disco records, there is something catchy, and dare say retro-cool, about their synth melodies. (David Zlotnick)