Dotsun Moon – Never Had A Heart

“Never Had A Heart” by Dotsun Moon, the Buffalo-based project headed by Richard Flierl, is a beautiful trip through the worlds of dream pop and atmospheric synth rock. The track’s melodies and beautiful vocals create a nighttime confession hidden in neon fog and leather reverb. From the very beginning, the song gets the listener in dreamy electronic elements that recall the ethereal characteristics of New Order with a sleazy element of early Glam rock attractiveness. The vocals, which are filled with reverb and echo, travel smoothly through the background, providing an aura of tenderness and scale. Flierl’s voice has a careful, almost storytelling value, giving the song a narrative aspect that is almost theatrical. Lyrically, “Never Had A Heart” goes into the deep feelings of experiencing a love that feels stressful, even supernatural. Lines like “Heaven never felt a heart like yours” and “All the troubles you’ve ever known gripping you tight by the throat” show a heartbreaking struggle between desire and damage, light and shadow. At 2:31, the song takes a break, with a brief break in which the melody strips down and stays in a period of peace. The short break from the layered electronics emphasizes the deep meaning of the lyrics before the entire instrumentation returns, restoring the dream pop heartbeat that defines the song’s sound.