Poets in Heat – Childish Things (EP Review)

On Childish Things, Erich Russek and Poets in Heat take stories that live in the collective childhood imagination and reframe them as unsettling allegories for adulthood. Rapunzel, Humpty Dumpty, Chicken Little, and other familiar figures are stripped of innocence and turned into voices of warning, despair, and dissent. The six-track EP is less a nostalgic revisit than a reinterpretation, where folklore becomes a vessel for social commentary and existential unease.

The band’s approach to production is restrained but deliberate. Grooves pulse in the background, keys shimmer in the foreground, and silences are used with as much intent as rhythm. Each track feels like a staged performance, as though the music is there to create an atmosphere for Russek’s narrations rather than overwhelm them.

“Once a Heart is Broken (Humpty’s Defeat)” begins with smooth keyboards and bass, immediately setting a contemplative tone. Russek’s raspy vocals take the spotlight, sometimes at the expense of balance in the mix, as his voice tends to overpower the instrumentation. Lyrically, it veers toward simplicity, yet lines like “You’re alone and empty on a crowded street” manage to land with resonance. The keyboard work is the song’s strongest element, pushing the track forward when the vocals threaten to stall it.

“Let Down Your Hair (Rapunzel)” leans more into guitar-led storytelling. The guitar solo is easily the highlight, executed with confidence and flair, while the rest of the arrangement is held together by strong keyboard contributions. The lyrics, though serviceable, do not elevate the track, and the vocals can feel repetitive. Still, the musicianship gives the song enough weight to carry its reimagined fairytale narrative.

The EP’s most compelling moment may be “Say My Name (Rumpelstiltskin).” Opening with a keyboard build, it quickly establishes tension before settling into one of Russek’s stronger vocal performances. There is a noticeable use of autotune, which may divide listeners, but it works as a stylistic decision that enhances the theme of fractured identity. The chorus lingers, and the instrumental rises and falls with precision, making it one of the most polished productions on the record.

“The Sky Will Fall (Chicken Little)” takes a heavier approach with danceable urgency and louder electric guitar. The song manages to balance vocal and instrumental intensity, both working toward the same paranoid momentum. Written from the perspective of Chicken Little, it turns what is usually dismissed as a children’s fable into a frantic call to action.

“Open Your Eyes (Sleeping Beauty)” relies heavily on vocal manipulation, with autotune again shaping Russek’s delivery. While the instrumental textures are engaging, the vocals sometimes lag behind the beat, creating a slight clash in pacing. Still, the narrative approach remains consistent, placing the character in a world more akin to sedation and propaganda than a fairytale castle.

The closing track, “Froggie Went a Courtin’,” is perhaps the most satisfying blend of sound and story. Its bluesy introduction, mysterious groove, and head-nodding beat make it the most audibly enjoyable track of the collection. The guitar solo is restrained but effective, the production is clean, and the vocals sit comfortably in the mix. It feels less like an experiment and more like the band at its natural peak.

What makes Childish Things stand out is not perfection of execution but commitment to concept. The retelling of fairytales through rock, funk, and noir-inspired production could easily have lapsed into novelty, but instead it comes across as darkly poetic. Even when the lyrics feel too plain or the vocals fall flat, the ambition of the project and the consistency of its vision carry it through.

Poets in Heat are not interested in nostalgia. They are interested in revelation, in pulling childhood stories apart to reveal something uncomfortably adult beneath them. Childish Things may not be flawless, but it is ambitious, unsettling, and at times deeply moving. It asks us to reconsider the narratives we inherit, and it does so with art that is raw, intelligent, and unapologetically human.

SCORE / Good – In the end, Childish Things is less an EP to sing along to than one to sit with, a work that unsettles as much as it enlightens.

[We rank singles, EPs, and albums on a scale of Poor, Mediocre, Good, Excellent, and Outstanding]

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