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But spend too much time connecting the musical dots on What Hearts and you'll miss the things the group does best. Three-way, all-girl vocal harmonies are a tough beast to tame especially when you're laying down sparkling guitar-picking and

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fiddle-playing and What Hearts fucking nails it. Proof of this can be found in opener “Salmon River Mouth,” on which frontwoman-guitarist Julie Vitells, guitarist Karin Nystrom and fiddler Sophie Vitells sing like train whistles over drummer Sarah Fennel's minimal, clacking beat. Like much of Songs for Marjorie, the instrumentation here while well-played, tastefully understated and gorgeously recorded is really a trampoline beneath the singers' feet. Julie Vitells writes twisting, descriptive lyrical vignettes, but it's clear her real joy comes from writing gorgeous harmonies to underscore the best couplets. That's also what keeps me listening, past all the comparisons, again and again."

-Willamette Week




SKYSCRAPER REVIEW:
"On Songs for Marjorie, the new EP from What Hearts, the local trio is not shy about their appreciation for the olden days of country music. Thankfully they pay their dues without strained twang or lyrical content forced beneath the Mason-Dixon line. Instead, What Hearts which began as a songwriting project for Julie Vitells stacks the harmonies high while keeping the pace at a tempered shuffle throughout this six-song offering. It's not all front-porch folk strumming either; songs like the haunting "Last Year" and "Don't Leave Me Danny" have a slight Chelsea Girl feel to them. Regardless of where their influences take root, What Hearts have just established a mighty foundation to build upon."

-Portland Mercury




"This CD has intrigued me. It's not what I would expect from a Portland, Oregon-based indie-folk band. Of course, it helps that the primary players in What Hearts don't really come from Portland's indie scene, but rather from the old-time communities that have made Portland a folkie's heaven. I was expecting music similar to Portland bands like Huck Notari, Lewi Longmire, or Alela Diane. Organic dream-folk. But I was pleasantly surprised to find that What Hearts' debut EP, Songs from Marjorie, is more akin to the sounds of Britain's psych-folk scene in the late 70s. With shaky vocals, eerie harmonies, lush strings, and strange, dream-like lyrics, this music sounds like the kind of music Nick Drake would make if he were still alive and living in Portland.

The core of What Hearts is made up of sister-duet Sophie and Julie Vitells. Julie is the songwriter and Sophie is the fiddler. And what a fiddler! She just may be one of the best kept secrets in Portland's old-time community. Sophie toured with the Crooked Jades for a while and cut some absolutely stunning tracks on their 2008 CD, Shining Darkness(highly recommended). In What Hearts, her fiddling is understated, but satisfying, and it's good to know that the musical gene has graced her sister, Julie, as well. Must be a musical family! Julie's songs are simple, straight-forward, and heart-felt. They fit perfectly with the shimmering guitarwork and brush drumming. This is the kind of album that fits great with a summer picnic and an autumn stroll. It's a new sound for the Portland roots music scene and I hope it catches on. "

-Victory Music Review

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