Self Defense Family frontman Patrick Kindlon's first words on Heaven Is Earth are, "The earth is not my concern" and for a solid five minutes, he lists 19 people, places and/or concepts that likewise are not his concern ("your kid", "to compete", "your day"). The guitars bend with the willingness of steel girders and with every line, Kindlon strains like he’s waiting for a spotter to assist him. By the time it collapses in an exhausted heap, Kindlon’s point has been made by omission: Self Defense Family is his sole concern, the means and the end—the song itself is titled "In My Defens Self Me Defend". It speaks to the curious nature of the band—they’re a shape-shifting, inclusive and absorbing entity that somehow still feels closed off from society.
Heaven is Earth is Self Defense Family’s second LP in two years—they’re an extraordinarily prolific and collaborative band that’s more willing to play the traditional album cycle game while defying the idea that it needs to consist of four guys going into a studio to knock out a 45-minute record and tour through the writing of the next one. Despite having over a dozen releases under the name End of a Year, they had no issue changing it once Kindlon decided it made them sound like a "local metalcore" band. You’ll have to read the credits to keep up with their constantly rotating personnel; it’s currently six deep, though that’s always subject to change. Heaven Is Earth was also recorded in four different studios with four different, esteemed engineers, including Kurt Ballou (Converge) and Jonathan Low (the National, Kurt Vile)—more a tribute to their reputation than any kind of budget. And the video for lead single "Talia" is filled with stock wildlife footage, meant to be "directly ripped off from the Talk Talk ‘It’s My Life’ video" and the opposite of the typical "band playing in a warehouse" clip.
Their contrarian thinking and freewheeling structure belies the circumscription and cohesion of Heaven Is Earth. In the lineage of Steve Albini, Andy Falkous and Pissed Jeans’ Matt Korvette, Kindlon sings with constant aggravation, a smart-ass frustrated by the dimwitted and probably even more so by the intellectuals. They’re not as ascetic nor abrasive musically, however—Heaven Is Earth is a warm and often rich recording. But it’s one that doesn’t trust conventional displays of beauty, especially shoegaze. There’s all the whammy bar abuse and tonal clusters of the genre, but it’s gone straight-edge, with none of the disorientation and gushing ambience. "In My Defens" segues into "Talia" and is distinguished entirely on its inclusion of harmonica and piano, which are employed for groaning ambience—a Swans song in miniature.
Self Defense Family make good on their name throughout *Heaven Is Earth—*there are no hooks, the songs are mostly stationary and stonefaced, waiting for you to fuck up so they can pounce. This is music that doesn’t play offense, it just takes offense. Traditional, confessional songwriting seems to be a particular pet peeve, which he addresses on "Basic Skills" ("peer review, I handled that poorly") and "Everybody Wants a Prize For Feeling". However, it’s unclear whether the surprisingly clean jangle of both these songs contradicts Kindlon’s mocking of basic indie rock or serves as a deeper means of parody.
Kindlon isn't the type to have trouble getting his point across, but sometimes he appears to resist making direct points. "Ditko" pits simple acts of kindness against overt acts of social antagonism to ruminate on ideas of possession: one man watches your laptop while you take a piss, another pees on your lawn. Kindlon asks, "But that’s not ownership, is it?" and reveals his ultimate point: "the hardest part of partnership...to possess and appreciate." The title track juxtaposes man and animal, heaven and hell, the cerebral and physical, and the mention of an unnamed risible, self-pitying Boston artist is somehow capable of tying it together. But regardless of its intent, the arid, mirthless nature of Heaven Is Earth becomes wearying even after a half hour. Self Defense Family are interesting, Kindlon has interesting things to say. But Heaven Is Earth finds few ways to enhance what you could gain from Kindlon’s interviews or the lyrics sheet—an album that’s literally more interesting on paper.
