Jeremy Messersmith
Heart Murmurs
Glassnote Records
Street: 02.04
Jeremy Messersmith = City and Colour + The Head and the Heart
Let’s make one thing perfectly clear right now: Jeremy Messersmith doesn’t—and will probably never take himself too seriously. While most of the album explores the multi-faceted role that love plays in his life, he keeps the album light by humorously singing songs about one-night stands and “loving the fuck” out of someone like one would sing a lullaby to an infant. The only major qualm I have with the album is that, at times, it is incredibly clichéd, lyrically, and almost too easy to listen to. For example, “Heidi” chronicles Messersmith’s clear disdain of being in the friendzone, and “You’ll Only Break His Heart” requires no further explanation. “Ghost” is by far the standout track on the album, which combines folk-pop elements à la Mumford & Sons with Messersmith’s most mature lyrics yet. In my opinion, Messersmith should stick to the comedic aspect of his songwriting and leave the teenage love songs for someone else. –Allison Shephard