TMN Staff
Back in the 16th century, the Catholic friar and astronomer/philosopher Giordano Bruno gazed up at the stars enraptured by the poetry he saw in the elliptical patterns playing out in the sky. For Bruno, math, science, art, and romance were all one and the same a perspective that resonated so much James Tabbi and Tom Ferrara that they chose to name their band after Bruno’s epic work Gli Eroici Furori — literally“On the Heroic Passion” but commonly known as “The Heroic Enthusiasts.” Much as they did for Bruno, numbers for this band function as a window into matters of the heart.
Both math majors and music lovers of Sicilian descent, Ferrara and Tabbi understand that form derives its beauty from a dance between precision and an intangible quality that can’t be quantified. Yes, they write songs that stick in your memory and make you want to sing them out loud. But they also add discreet touches of sophistication, leaving a note out of a chord, for example, so that your ear strains to hear it and then introducing contrast by adding the note they’ve been implying all along. The way their guitar lines mesh together brings to mind the approach of master weavers and designers as much as it does musicianship in the conventional sense.
Numbers and emotion may not seem related, but when you listen to the band’s new EP Memory Wheel, you’ll hear why the connection makes sense. Or maybe you’ll just hum or dance along instead. And that’s okay too. These guys wouldn’t have it any other way.
The Heroic Enthusiasts are now playing on TMN Radio.