Label: Ropeadope, 2025
Personnel - Chris Weller: tenor and bass saxophones; Cole DeGenova: keys, synth, synth bass; Quin Kirchner: drums, percussion.
Hanging Hearts is a powerhouse bass-less trio from Chicago led by saxophonist Chris Weller and featuring Cole DeGenova on keys and synths, with Quin Kirchner replacing Devin Drobka on drums. They’re technically outstanding, but it’s their soulfulness and energy that make their music feel fresh and instantly likable. Where’s Your Head At is the unit’s third album.
The stunning opener, “Rise”, kicks off with strident determination, propelled by a powerful synth riff and engagingly misplaced drum accents. It quickly shifts into a section in seven, where Weller’s saxophone lines turn incisively witty. The vitality of punk rock fused with the carefree spirit of free jazz creates a raw musical energy, yet the trio crafts a different finale with Coltranean sax etchings over cymbal-toms textures and spacious synth embellishments. This track is the album’s only group composition.
Weller’s “Shégara” and “Horizon” offer different flavors. The former soars as a playful, animated fusion of African and Caribbean rhythms, while the latter, initially ambient and atmospheric, gradually unfolds into a tangible song structure. Their intensity, however, is rivaled by DeGenova’s “In the Garden”, a dynamic blend of electronic music and avant-garde jazz set to a ternary pulse. As Kirchner and DeGenova unleash battering drums and rippling synth waves, respectively, Weller keeps the melodic thread intact, occasionally bursting into gusty growls and rapid trills.
Weller proves to be a versatile composer whose ideas cohere within an aesthetic that embraces odd meters, rock-inflected grooves, and electrifying jazz. His “Strong & Wong” begins with literal on-the-beat steps before shifting into complex tempos, subtly infused with R&B and pop aromas—it could have made a great ABBA song. “Fight Song” is a U2-meets-Coltrane experiment, with a B section reminiscent of Pavement, showcasing formidable sax improvisation and synth psychedelia. That psychedelia—echoing Pink Floyd’s golden era—also floods “It’s Aliens”, a track built around a catchy riff and seamless transitions between 4/4 and 5/4.
These rhythmic shifts and nuanced changes in direction keep the music vibrant and unpredictable. The trio’s progressive approach yields fascinating results, making Where’s Your Head At a memorable album and a standout in Hanging Hearts’ still small yet impressive discography.
Favorite Tracks:
01 - Rise ► 05 - In the Garden ► 08 - Fight Song ► 09 - It’s Aliens