Ears Wide Open: Heathers

Seraphina Lotkhamnga on July 10th, 2014

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Despite their name, Heathers doesn’t include one single female member (although they may don dresses from time to time for performances). And the L.A. guitar-pop trio is nowhere near as vindictive as a young Winona Ryder starring in the ’80s black comedy of the same name. From the sound of their “I Know” EP, Michael Francis, Thom Lucero and Michael Wegener probably just spent a lot of time in their bedrooms listening to the Wedding Present. At least, they listened to them enough to go out and record a four-song cassette of covers, which includes crunchy renditions of “Dalliance,” “Dare,” “Brassneck” and “Getting Nowhere Fast.” Heathers’ original material isn’t too far from their Brit-rock and jangle-pop heroes either. The title track of their “Fear” 7-inch is a fine slice of lo-fi guitar pop that could very well land them next to Smith Westerns in your record collection. Francis’ vocals are particularly gritty on this track, yet they also slide into the chorus with ease, and Lucero’s bright harmonies provide a nice contrast. The guitars run rampant for texture while Wegener’s percussion serves as a solid foundation. A Heathers full-length is currently in the works.