Heavenly: Highway to Heavenly

"Many of their best songs, like "Hearts and Crosses," couch dark scenes in a candy coat (in that track's case, a jangly song about a teenage crush that becomes a harrowing depiction of sexual violence). It's no wonder kids who've grown up with the gurokawa creepy-cuteness of Jack Stauber music videos, Roblox horror games starring colorful cartoon mascots, and The Amazing Digital Circus would gravitate toward this music."

"For founding members Amelia Fletcher and Rob Pursey, the reappraisal of this material was an opportunity to fly the Heavenly banner once again, reforming to play live for a new generation of fans and to start work on their first album in 30 years."

"Even during their first run, the band resisted that label, which implies a naive optimism that overshadows a key element of Heavenly's songs: the dissonance between their adorable aesthetics and their dire subject matter."

Heavenly, a British band on hiatus for decades, experienced unexpected viral moments when their tracks "P.U.N.K. Girl" and "Me and My Madness" resurfaced through algorithmic distribution. This reappraisal prompted founding members Amelia Fletcher and Rob Pursey to reform and create Highway to Heavenly, their first album in 30 years. The band's appeal lies in their distinctive juxtaposition of adorable musical aesthetics with disturbing subject matter—a quality that distinguishes them from twee revival bands. Their music resonates with younger audiences familiar with contemporary creepy-cute aesthetics in digital media. Fletcher and Pursey maintained continuous musical collaboration throughout their hiatus, making this not strictly a comeback but rather a return to the Heavenly project.

Read at Pitchfork