Poets In Heat find their spark on lyric-focused EP, "Childish Things"
Erich Russek has always been a restless storyteller, and on Childish Things, the latest EP from his long-running outfit Poets In Heat, he sounds as vital and slyly subversive as ever. Across six tracks and a tight 21 minutes, Russek and company unspool a genre-hopping fever dream of rock, noir-funk, and lyrical satire — a collection of darkly whimsical modern fables disguised in the trappings of classic nursery rhymes.
From the first chord on “Once a Heart is Broken (Humpty’s Defeat)”, Childish Things feels like a record out of time in the best way possible. There’s a comforting familiarity in the electric guitars that shimmer and growl, soaked in vintage tone, yet there’s nothing predictable about where these songs go. The band plays with an almost cinematic sense of space and pacing, allowing each track to unfold like a twisted bedtime story for grownups — equal parts playful and melancholic.
Russek’s highly specific “talk-singing” delivery is the undeniable center of gravity here. Equal parts Lou Reed detachment and Tom Waits grit, his voice is a weathered, soulful narrator leading you through a landscape where innocence meets reckoning. There’s a dry, poetic wit in his lyrics, an ability to pull beauty out of absurdity, and a kind of lyrical surrealism that makes even the simplest turns of phrase hit with unexpected weight. Though on future tracks on the EP, there’s an added production and crispness to it, adding a ton of modernity to the whole sound.
What makes Childish Things truly pop is how the record balances its nostalgic leanings with a current, kinetic energy. The production is clean but raw where it needs to be, capturing the immediacy of a live performance without sacrificing nuance. Guitars wail and chime, keys haunt the periphery, and the rhythm section moves between slinky noir-funk grooves and no-nonsense rock propulsion with ease. You’ll catch yourself nodding along, maybe even laughing, as Russek spins yet another tale of childhood relics corrupted by grown-up disillusionment.
It’s a record for all ages — or perhaps for those who refuse to pick one. The band’s underground legacy is palpable here, honed through decades of shapeshifting collaborations and Erich’s poet-in-residence cool. Childish Things feels like a summation of everything Poets In Heat has done best: groove-heavy instrumentation, fearless narrative risk-taking, and a refusal to fit neatly into any genre box.
For an EP about the trappings of youth and the weird, weary business of adulthood, it’s got an oddly hopeful spark. You come away from Childish Things with the sense that while the world may be unkind and absurd, there’s still catharsis to be found in a great riff, a sardonic lyric, and a little twisted fairytale.
This isn’t just one of Poets In Heat’s best outings in years — it’s one of the more singularly compelling underground rock releases of the year. Erich Russek hasn’t just held on to his voice after all these decades; he’s sharpened it into a scalpel, ready to carve new meaning from the old stories.
Whether you’re cruising on the highway or chilling in the backyard, the record is downright diverse! Go ahead and experience the greatness for yourself, and make sure to follow along for more, by clicking those links below.
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