CS Hellmann’s new single “Burned Romances” hits like a smoky, tender, brooding, and unexpectedly anthemic memory set to a post-punk fever dream. Released on July 17th, this Nashville-born track leans heavily into moody textures and big emotion, offering a swirling sonic cocktail of War on Drugs-style momentum with flashes of Peter Gabriel’s synth mystique and David Bowie’s theatrical melancholy. If you like your heartbreaks loud and shimmering, this one’s got your name all over it.
From the first rumble of those thumping drums, you’re pulled into an atmospheric haze. Hellmann’s voice comes like ether, echoing, whispery, breathy, and high. It feels like he’s barely brushing the mic at first, before expanding with heartache and clarity. He sings tentatively and emotionally amidst the soundscape that engulfs your ears and fogs up the whole place. He’s letting you in on a memory he’s still trying to forget, while engulfed in jangly guitars, dreamy synths, and a full-fat rhythm section.
“Burned Romances” takes its melancholy and runs it through a punky filter, giving the song a raw energy that makes you want to drive with the windows down and your past in the rearview. The tension between the sprawling production and Hellmann’s understated delivery keeps everything from getting too comfortable.
If the recorded version stirs your soul, wait until Hellmann hits the stage at The Underdog on August 13th. With a solid live band behind him, this bittersweet burner is sure to catch fire.
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Photo by: Joshua Black Wilkins
Review by: Naomi Joan