The Heroic Enthusiasts return with a second full-length album, ‘Illuminate’. Arriving like a sonic prism, the record is a testament to the enduring allure of synth-driven alt-pop. It is also a rare collaboration between modern romantics James Tabbi and Thomas Ferrara, and production legend Stephen Hague. Hague’s fingerprints- sleek, refined, and quietly anthemic- are unmistakable, yet ‘Illuminate’ feels every bit as intimate and emotionally raw as it is polished and cinematic.
This isn’t just a record for genre devotees; it’s one for anyone who’s ever wrestled with the push-and-pull of longing and hope. From the opening track, the duo craft a universe where analogue textures collide with digital dreams. Tabbi’s vocals are all vulnerable conviction, echoing with the kind of introspection you’d expect from someone scoring the quietest parts of your midnight walks. Ferrara, meanwhile, sculpts guitar lines that shimmer like glass- fragile, beautiful, and always threatening to crack under emotional weight.
Tracks like ‘Left A Light On’ and ‘Come Find Me Inside’ hit that rare nerve, emotionally resonant and rhythmically infectious. The songwriting is poetic without being precious, and the hooks- of which there are plenty- feel earned, not forced.
‘Euro Star’ pulses with that subtle sense of urgency, evoking transit- not just across cities but across states of mind. Hague’s contribution to the sonic architecture can be felt in the record’s restraint; there’s room for these songs to breathe, for silence to speak as loudly as the beats. Elsewhere, ‘Play the Part’ unfurls like a confessional set to sequencers, its narrative as compelling as its melody.
The real magic, however, is in how the album balances elegance and edge. It nods to the shadowy sheen of late-night radio classics while pushing forward with a clarity that feels very now. And while the record is rich in nostalgic reference points- Pet Shop Boys, early Depeche, a touch of New Order melancholy- it never lapses into mimicry. ‘Illuminate’ is reverent without being derivative, and polished without losing its pulse.
More than just an exercise in sonic craftsmanship, ‘Illuminate’ feels like an emotional artifact of our present moment- reflective, searching, and ultimately hopeful. In a musical landscape that often favours immediacy over intention, The Heroic Enthusiasts remind us that atmosphere, patience, and precision are still powerful tools in the right hands.
This is the kind of record that sneaks up on you. And when it does, ‘Illuminate’ doesn’t just light up a room, it warms it.