Black Heart - All Is Lost

Yes, it's been a while since you've heard the name Black Heart and that's because the interview we conducted with the Austrian darkpop singer/songwriter occurred back on June 29th. Anyway, I'm here to bring Corina Cinkl and her project's name back to the forefront because like the silly little bastard I am I forgot to give her debut album a right and proper album review. Anyway, I'll skip multiple introductions as the interview can give you all that information and get right into her album.

 All Is Lost is an eight track melancholic and often times uplifting darkpop album which draws themes from mythology. The opening track 'Follow' will make you want to follow the rest of this album all the way through. The slow, atmospheric electronics paired next to Cinkl's haunting lyrics and vocals is an excellent combination and a stellar start. Other stand out tracks on the album include the title track 'All Is Lost' where I believe the peak of Cinkl's talent under the Black Heart name shines, and 'Blind' which has a sort of post-punk feel to it thanks to the addition of some guitars and the like. 

I do have some criticisms of the album that relate to Cinkl's method of singing, however. The fact is that once you've heard her voice on the first track you won't be experiencing much different throughout the rest of the album. She will sing, and you will find her voice pretty, but it doesn't change up all that often. To make her pieces in the future better and even more addicting in the future, I think Cinkl needs to experiment a bit more to evolve.

The only other thing that slightly bothers me was the quality of the album. It wasn't bad by far, but in comparison to other albums I've heard that have had tight and high quality values, Black Heart's All Is Lost fell a little short. Some of the sounds come off a little hazy and not as clear as they ought to be. 

However, do not let my criticisms maintain a steadfast hold over your very own opinion of the album. I still found Cinkl's debut offering under the Black Heart name to be rather good and you might, too. Check it out, listen to it for yourself, and discover a new act. 
Sep 22 2016