Heartwork

Following their emotionally draining 2017 epic The Canyon, American post-hardcore punk vets the Used get back to basics with their ferocious eighth set, Heartwork. The blistering LP manages to be both a spiritual throwback to their early-2000s albums while also marking yet another evolution in their style. Although the album could use a little trimming for maximum effect, there's a wealth of material here for fans of their peak-era, no-nonsense hardcore aggression, as well as loyal diehards who've stuck with them through the polished and daring genre explorations of their late era. Bursting right out of the gates with the explosive "Paradise Lost, a poem by John Milton," the band immediately links Heartwork to decades past, referencing an early single with the line "Yellow fades to blue." Fever 333's Jason Aalon Butler joins the melee on the savage "Blow Me," a riotous blast that features a skull-rattling breakdown at the close. That moment is later bested by "Wow, I Hate This Song," a churning rager that borders on deftones-style metal. Spirits of other groups also drift into Heartwork, notably Nirvana (on "Paradise Lost"), the Dear Hunter ("1984 - infinite jest"), and even Fall Out Boy/Panic! At the Disco, whose arena-friendly rock anthems find a kindred spirit with the stomping "BIG, WANNA BE." The album's midsection is the most rewarding stretch, home to the shimmering pop gem "Cathedral Bell" (a shock to the system in the same vein of The Canyon's "Over and Over Again"); the theatrical "1984 - infinite jest"; and the soaring anthem "Gravity's Rainbow," which includes the cathartic rallying cry "Walking with the fire/I make peace with the light." Heartwork's most polarizing moment arrives on "Clean Cut Hands," which takes the Used onto the dancefloor with a K-pop-meets-disco romp complete with handclaps, funky bass, and lilting falsetto. A trio of high-profile friends end the album on a high, starting with blink-182's Mark Hoppus, who injects a bit of bounce on "The Lighthouse." Meanwhile, Hoppus' bandmate, drummer Travis Barker, lends his signature delivery to the urgent "Obvious Blase," while Beartooth frontman Caleb Shomo joins Bert McCracken on visceral scream-off "The Lottery." There's so much going on here that Heartwork can be overwhelming upon first listen. However, given time, it ends up being one of the Used's catchiest, most direct and hard-hitting albums to date, one of those packed sets that sounds like a greatest-hits collection. After such a reflective and mournful era with The Canyon, it's refreshing to see this usually energetic group kick it back into high gear with such control, hunger, and ferocity.