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JFH Indie Review

JFH Indie Music Spotlight Review

Heart Like War

Heart Like War
Thoughts On This - EP

Street Date: December 6, 2019
Style: Pop Punk
Official Site: Official Website
Buy It: iTunes
Buy It: Amazon Music
Buy It: Bandcamp
Buy It: Storenvy


 
ThoughtsOnThisEP
READER RATING: 
/ 5.0 (0 votes)

Originally forming in 2009, the Southern Californian alternative rock band Heart Like War took a short break a couple of years ago, only to bring it back together in 2018. Now signed to Indie Vision Music (instead of their former label, Thumper Punk Records), the trio has been hard at work on new tunes, writing and recording some new fresh tunes that make up their new EP, Thoughts On This.

Thoughts On This is a relatively short EP; with six songs clocking in at 17 minutes, it almost feels like it goes by in the blink of an eye. But the time spent listening to it is time well-spent. Heart Like War serves up a good dose of upbeat pop punk that reminds me the mid-'00s when pop punk was at the height of its popularity. The EP opens with "Fake Friends," a track that combines melodic pop punk with an early MxPx-esque skate punk drum beat. It's a fast and fun song that sets the tone for an EP that never really lets up until it's finished. The pace keeps up and blasts its way through some great tracks like "Best Shot," "Of Your Story," and the closing track, "This Isn't Going To End Well." The guitar work is sharp and engaging and the drums are supremely impressive. In fact, the drums might be one of the strongest parts of the entire thing; it's super tight, lightning quick, and always on its mark.

If there's anything to complain about with this EP, it would probably be that the vocals can be a little monotonous at times. However, it's certainly far from the worst I've heard, so I won't complain that much. All in all, Thoughts On This is a super solid EP that displays the best of what this band has to offer. And, quite frankly, it's some of the best new pop punk I've heard in a long time. Fans of bands like Craig's Brother, Hangnail, and Slick Shoes should definitely take notice of Heart Like War.

- Review date: 12/8/19, written by Scott Fryberger of Jesusfreakhideout.com



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JFH Indie Spotlight Review . Record Label: Indie Vision Music
. Album length: 6 tracks: 17 minutes, 00 seconds
. Street Date: December 6, 2019
. Buy It: iTunes
. Buy It: Amazon Music
. Buy It: Bandcamp

  1. Fake Friends (2:56)
  2. From Here On Out (2:27)
  3. Last Night (2:42)
  4. Best Shot (feat. Daniel Daghlarian of All Taken) (3:05)
  5. Of Your Story (2:21)
  6. This Isn't Going To Well (3:28)

 

 

 

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This Friday, November 14, 2025
ALBUMS
Bethel Music We Must Respond (Deluxe) [Bethel]
Emery White Line Fever (Remastered) - Disc One (independent)
FYR FYTR Snow After Fire - EP (independent)
HolyName Three Bar Cross - EP (independent)
Jake and Mates Songs of Deliverance (independent)
JERICKO Ups and Downs - EP [Syntax]
Kings Kaleidoscope Asaph's Arrows II EP [BEC]
VIC LUCAS The Journey (Deluxe Version) [Syntax]
Ronnie Martin Evergreen Melodie [Velvet Blue]
NF FEAR - EP [Capitol]
Blessing Offor To All A Good Night [Capitol CMG]
Rave Jesus I MET GOD ON THE DANCEFLOOR [Provident]
Kristian Stanfill Come to Jesus [sixstepsrecords]
We Are Messengers Rejoice! (A Celtic Christmas) [Curb]
The Young Escape Not Done Yet [BEC]

SINGLES
ADRIEL CRUZ & JAMIL Praying For My Enemies - Single [Syntax]
BILL B. My Lord - Single [Syntax]
Biscuits Drifting Off (Hayloft) - Single [Circle Back]
Holly Brand Tennessee Christmas (feat. Warren Peay) - Single [Integrity]
Leanna Crawford Still Waters (Strings & Choir Version) - Single [Provident]
Melvin Crispell III, Jason Clayborn Whatever It Is - Single [Tyscot]
CUTRIGHT, ZIPPY, & QEW Pick it Up - Single [Syntax]
DRENAE Like U Do - Single [Syntax]
Eighteen Mile What Mercy Means - Single [Mountain Home Music]
His Kingdom Suffers There's No Light In This House - Single [Charon Collective]
KNALADEUS, SELAH THE CORNER, & AYO SHAMIR Let it Be (ft. JOSEPH SD) - Single [Syntax]
LEXLY NIRVANA Perdoname - Single [Syntax]
Richard Lynch Why Me Lord - Single [MTS]
Jamie MacDonald My Family - Single [Capitol CMG]
NEEDTOBREATHE Where You Call Home - Single [Omnivore]
Hunter Plake Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas - Single [BEC]
Skillet O Come, O Come Emmanuel - Single [Hear It Loud]

Next Sunday, November 16, 2025
ALBUMS
Bir Witness 26.13 (independent)

Next Thursday, November 20, 2025
SINGLES
The Rocky Valentines Happy Thanksgiving - Double Single [Velvet Blue]

Next Friday, November 21, 2025
ALBUMS
Drew Holcomb & the Neighbors, Ellie Holcomb I'll Be Home for Christmas - EP [Magnolia]
Joseph Habedank The Great Adventure: A Tribute to Steven Curtis Chapman [Daywind]
Andrew Marcus Christmas - EP (independent)
Stryper The Greatest Gift Of All [Frontiers]

SINGLES
Cliff & Antoinette Murray Happy Thanksgiving - Single [DREAM]
Good Weather Forecast Little Christmas - Single [DREAM]
Jake MacAdam, Mark & Sarah Tillman Christ Has Come - Single [Ocean House]
Life.Church Worship A Thousand Blessings - Single [Ocean House]
Seph Schlueter Cling To The Cross (feat. Matt Maher) - Single [sixsteps]

VINYL
Stryper The Greatest Gift Of All Vinyl [Girder]


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