If There’s a Heaven (2024)
Melt’s debut full-length album If There’s a Heaven is the kind of project that slowly earns its place in your rotation, then plants itself there like it’s always been by your side. It’s warm, confident, and well-paced, showing the band shedding some of their jazz-adjacent roots in favor of a more polished indie-pop direction—without losing the details that make their music unmistakably theirs.
Right out of the gate, Fake Romantic introduces a new sound palette: steady drums, layered synths, and 70s-style keys that feel both retro and fresh. The jazz undertones are dialed back, replaced by something dreamier and more refined. It’s accessible—maybe even a little commercial—but the backing harmonies and textures still feel like Melt.
Plant the Garden plays like a sister track to WWR Favorite Eliza & the Delusionals’ ”Make It Feel Like the Garden”, with soft indie-pop melodies and a sun-washed, nostalgic tone. From there, Your Name and The Door keep things at a steady mid-tempo, the latter picking up just enough energy to earn its gospel-tinged group harmonies in the final stretch.
Things really open up with the title track, Heaven, which bursts in with bright guitar strums and a soaring melody. It’s one of the prettiest songs on the record—dynamic, well-paced, and fully realized. A clear standout.
Happy to Be Here marks the first appearance of Eric Gabriel’s vocals, paired with a dreamy piano line that glides through the track like a gentle wave. It’s soft but firm, full of small instrumental flourishes that make you want to rewind just to catch them again. And that walk-down on piano? Unfairly good.
Through the Wall returns to Veronica Stewart-Frommer’s vocals, with a tight interplay between drums and piano that keeps the song moving. The final minute is a burst of controlled chaos—rushing tempo, swirling energy, all delivered with pinpoint focus. One of the most exciting moments on the record. Genuinely took me by surprise.
Better With You is where the bass wakes back up. This one has the bounce—the head nod, the toe tap, the groove. It’s smooth, sultry, and rides the line between indie-pop and something funkier. Feels like a reimagined St. Lucia track, in the best way.
And the album just keeps leveling up. The Idiot blends bright harmonies with sudden bursts of energy and dynamic pacing. There’s something incredibly satisfying about its shout-back-ready chorus and polished-yet-raw delivery. Imagine the brightness of The 1975’s A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships, but with Melt’s warmer touch.
Veronica’s Apology—something I know I’m never gonna hear. Oh! The song… Right. Piano-driven and emotionally open, it’s a cathartic high point near the end of the record. The final build and outro? Genuinely angelic.
Then comes Communion. A closer that feels like a curtain call in a dimly lit jazz lounge. Soft piano, low lights, a drink in hand—it’s the exact kind of track you want closing out your night, or your year. It’s graceful, understated, and impossibly perfect as an ending.
If There’s a Heaven is a confident debut—one that broadens Melt’s sound without losing their identity. It’s more polished, more dynamic, and more cohesive than anything they’ve done before. And if I’d known about it in time, you can bet it would’ve made a serious Wolfy run. As the last note played out, I literally caught myself saying: “Wow… that was something.”
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Highlight Songs:
Heaven
Through The Wall
Better Without You
The Idiot
Veronica’s Apology
Communion
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Own it, Stream it, or Forget about it?
Like I just said, this album is truly something. Melt has been in my music library for years, but their debut album release completely slipped under my radar. I apologize to the band for not shining a light on this record last year and giving it the flowers it very much deserved during the 2024 Wolfys. But now I’m able to tell all 3 of my blog readers that If There’s a Heaven is absolutely a must own record. There is no debate. Get onboard or get left behind — Melt is just getting started.
