Glutton For Punishment sees Heartworms confront the hurt

A building set of synth pads and rhythms form regimental layers and the familiar, yet off-kilter, beats of “Just To Ask A Dance” propel the album forward. Glutton For Punishment is the debut album from Jojo Orme, the South London musician known as Heartworms, who has been steadily carving a niche in the post-punk landscape with her evocative storytelling and distinctive soundscapes. It marks a significant evolution from her earlier work, showcasing a composition and narrative depth maturation.

Building upon the foundation laid by her 2023 EP, A Comforting Notion, Orme delves deeper into themes of personal struggle, historical reflection, and the human condition. The club influences run rampant throughout as they touch on the infectious dance-punk commentary of LCD Soundsystem, the post-industrial minimalism of 1990s/2000s techno, EDM, and electroclash; think The Knife, Ritchie Hawton, or the organic glitch of anything released by the Perlon label. But it’s not just a spread of intuitive programming or composition that sees Glutton For Punishment raise the bar considerably vocally and lyrically Orme examines her introverted and frustrated modern life but widens ou that view to place it within a historical context that’s equally awful.

The album's lead single, "Warplane," exemplifies this approach. Dedicated to William Gibson Gordon, a 20-year-old Spitfire pilot killed in action, the track paints a vivid picture of aerial combat and its attendant tragedies capturing the tension and chaos of warfare. It may seem like a removed scene but Orme’s dramatic rendering brings the listener in to face similar tragedy on a personal level, facing one's pain or that of others in a show of humanity.

There’s a gothic darkness to the music and the theatricality of its delivery across the album, see also the angular “Mad Catch”, about the absolute carnage that online dating can throw up. Or the exorcising of Orme’s feelings on “Just To Ask A Dance”, “Extraordinary” or the thrillingly vampy “Celebrate”. Honestly, you could pick any emotion from a bunch, insecurity, power, love, obsession, or conflict, and find it nestled in the roots of every track on the album.

Her world-building is haunting and powerful. I would personally welcome even more experimentation, more ghosts in the machine, and ‘out there’ moments. Overall they’re the exciting and memorable pieces that get the heart pumping and the brain firing. The album does peter out somewhat. “Smugglers” is a languid rockier offering that only picks up in the last cacophonous couple of minutes and the final song, and album title track, “Glutton For Punishment” is a sweeter sounding, ironic take on maybe attracting the barrage of chaos life can bring. But when viewed in its entirety the album feels like a momentous leap.

As Heartworms continues to evolve, Glutton for Punishment stands as a testament to Jojo Orme's commitment to authenticity and her fearless exploration of the human experience, She oscillates between solemnity and urgency, embracing imperfections and exploring the full range of her expressive capabilities. It's an album that invites listeners to confront discomfort, embrace imperfection, and find beauty in some of our darkest and scariest places.