FHAE

REVIEW: MY TETHERED HEART GROWS TIRED

Words: Joseph Maranta

Images: Molly Ramsay

A desk chair sits in the corner of her room. Inconspicuous in daylight, it serves as scaffolding for the haphazardly piled, miscellaneous pieces of clothing that drape off it. Its innocent appearance quickly turns malevolent come nightfall, morphing into a manifestation of repressed fears and childhood phobias. 

In their fourth LP, the ever-ethereal Meanjin artist, Ellena Ramsay (fhae), pushes themselves further than ever artistically. Six tracks deep, her new project my tethered heart grows tired, bends ambient-genre norms with a ghostly atmosphere buoyed by droning, metronomical instrumentals.

The opening track Under My Skin sets the tone for the project. As unsettling as it is enthralling, it immerses itself in themes of guilt and grief - containing a wash of distortion and vocal echoes, as the lyrics constantly repeat imagery of vast depths and visceral desires to disappear into the skin of someone else. 

The LP’s haunting introduction doesn’t lose momentum in the subsequent tracks, with Luna and the nine-minute odyssey Bride, possessing the same haunting atmosphere, but with a noticeable dose of electronica. 

The EP closes with its piece de resistance, Flake. Featuring a chaotic electronic soundscape reflecting her emotionally exhausted perspective, it’s the most unique sounding track on a project filled with off-kilter soundscapes. It’s a very fitting ending to what was an audaciously complex project, serving as the final piece in this sonic jigsaw puzzle.  

Across its 36 minute runtime, my tethered heart grows tired covers themes of human existence as well as emotional exhaustion, and Ramsay’s otherworldly sound truly sticks the landing. It’s an incredible feat which will serve as yet another feather in the cap for this experimental savant. 

To be officially released on the 21st of March, the project’s launch show will be held on the same date, in one of Brisbane’s greatest suburban venues The Cave Inn. They’ll be accompanied by indie-rock sweethearts Lighthouse Mouse and Sebya.

LAUNCH SHOW TICKETS HERE