Album Review : “Central Heat Exchange” by Central Heat Exchange

The pandemic has done much to tear us apart over the past year and a half, but the scattered members of Central Heat Exchange are here to bring us closer together on their first full length project, “Central Heat Exchange”. In true pandemic fashion, the fire behind this album was lit by Chicagoan Jake Stolz when he decided to outsource and send a fragment of one of the tracks to Austin folk musician Santiago Dietche, who provides many of the sweet acoustics prevalent on the LP. Winnipeg natives Adam Soloway and Paul Stolz, Jakes brother, of the indie band Living Hour round out the usual suspects for this album. However, in its entirety the album has many writing and musician credits to its name, all in an effort to beat the odds of the collaborative red tape that the pandemic has put up.

This level of outsourcing and collaboration make for an album that is rich in diversity and novelty, but with hints of the early indie pioneering of the late 2000’s. We’re introduced to the album in a seemingly tell-all way with it’s first track “Fortnight”, a chill, well rounded, methodically placed track that pulls you in on the promise of a solid indie rock album that would pair perfect with any bottle of “Late Night Drive”. Following the slow buildup of the first track, comes the most complex and arguably best track on the LP “Tulips by My Bedside”, with its interesting chord progressions that keep you wondering sometimes where exactly Paul Stolz is taking you with his clever musicianship. Central Heat Exchange then takes you into a serviceable ballad in “Almost To You”. For what it lacks for in musical complexity, it makes up for with its relatable lyrics. For the next two tracks “You Showed Up” and “Directly Down”, Santiago Dietche brings out the welcomed familiarity of the acoustic guitar, which will bring any indie fan back into the days of the early 2000’s when indie rock and folk were still finding their footing in the new century. The only ask I can have for Dietche’s acoustic flair, is simply for more of it on the album. The next track following our trip down memory lane is “Cold”, a juxtaposed modern indie rock song that will either bring you back to this decade, or leave you wanting to explore the past more, depending on who’s listening. Whatever kind of listener you are, the engaging lyrical lines of “Help Me Understand” can be appreciated by everyone and are arguably the best written for the album. The next track, “Dusty Glass”, brings back the sweetness of the acoustic guitar with enough introspective lyrics to make you feel like you’re listening to the song while staring longingly through a dusty pane of glass. Close to the end of this album, a shift to the fun, poppy sounds of mainstream indie pop are immediately recognizable. “Horsey Cop” and “Tomatoes (Breath of God)” are sure to bring a smile to your face after experiencing the generally folky, drearier tone of the rest of the album. These songs enjoy contributions of sound from every inch of the album, from the sweet acoustic fills, interesting musical choices, and witty lyricism, especially on the latter track. To round out the bottom end of the LP, “Drumless” is a sub-three-minute serenade by almost every sound on the track, saying goodbye with a sweet, dreamlike tone through the addition of the violin, and repeated lyrics that are almost telling you that the album is over, but in an inspiring way.

It must be said that the best tracks on this project owe that status to their complex structure and clever lyricism, which can sometimes be lost on some of the simpler tunes like the ballad “Almost To You” and indie darling “Cold”. However, if the melting pot of indie rock, folk, and pop is something you’re interested in experiencing, the sheer diversity of Central Heat Exchange’s debut self-titled project might just be the place for you to start, and then start again once you become hooked on it like I did.