DECK: HEARTS
June 13, 2025

Available on Bandcamp and streaming services
Recorded at Sun Tiki Studios, Portland, ME
June 3rd, 2023
Engineered by Keith Mann
Recorded at Crooked Horse Studio, Providence, RI
Winter-Fall 2024
Engineered by Evan Sicuranza
"Just Another Night on Planet Earth" and "I'll Get Over It (If I Can Get Out from Under It)"
Recorded at Rare Signals, Cambridge MA
August 11, 2024
Engineered by Brian Charles
Overdubs done at Puritan Garage, Charlestown, MA and various locations Summer 2024 - Fall 2024
Mixed by Evan Sicuranza, Crooked Horse Studio, Providence, RI
Mastered by Amar Lal, Macro Sound, Oakland, CA
Backing/Gang vox, unless noted otherwise, is: Ryan Connelly, Joseph Marrett, Brian Rutledge, Ryan H. Walsh, & Nicholas Ward.
All songs written by Ryan H. Walsh except "Everest" written by Nicholas Ward and Ryan H. Walsh
All songs arranged by Hallelujah The Hills
Copyright ©2025 Reverse The Tape Decks ASCAP
Just Another Night on Planet Earth (Ace of Hearts)
Brian Rutledge - Trumpet
Joseph Marrett - Bass
Ryan Connelly - Drums, Percussion
Nicholas Ward - Electric Guitar, Electric Piano, Piano
David Michael Curry - Viola
Ryan H. Walsh - Guitars, Lead Vocals, Samples
Well, it's just another night on planet earth
Somebody's dyin', somebody's giving birth
It's an unfair world and you're trapped within
You gotta make your own meaning again and again
And I want you
Well, it's just another night on planet earth
People screw each over, doing their worst
Backstabbers, false hearts, propagandists
Try not to participate, you're still a part of it
And I want you
Well, it's just another night on planet earth
We take the trauma and carry it forth
Kill in the name of God, war in the name of peace
*"Throw yourself upon the gears"* but it'll never cease
And I want you
Well, it's just another night on planet earth
Hope everyone gets their money's worth
*"In an unfinished world there's no dignity"*
So I'm trying to convey what you mean to me
And I want you
And I want you
And I want you
And I want you
And I want you
And I want you
Scream Into the Void (2 of Hearts)
Joseph Marrett - Bass
Nicholas Ward - Piano
David Michael Curry - Viola
Ryan H. Walsh - Classical Guitar, Lead Vocals
With:
Jonah Sacks - Cello
Mariam Saleh - Vocals
And when you scream into the void
The void will harmonize with you
It's not a pleasant thing, it's true
But sometimes it'll have to do
And though abysses never miss you
And black holes never kiss you
When you scream into the void
The void will harmonize with you
When you jump into the fire
The flames will love you as you are
Make no excuses for its heat
It has no wish to be discrete.
Though smokey trails can never hold you
And hot coals can never break through
But when you jump into the fire
The flames will love you as you are
It's a beautiful world and it will try to kill you when you're not looking
It's a beautiful world but it won't be satisfied until you're dead
It's a beautiful world and though there aint' no place like home
The land it sits on is loaned and there's people there that won't ever leave you alone
When the aces up your sleeve
Turn to diamonds in the rough
You know it'll never be enough, to be just one cut above
So look the dealer in the eye
Pleading hit me 'til I die
And let the cards fall where they may
Sorry I'm late, I'm on my way
I'll Get Over It (3 of Hearts)
Brian Rutledge - Trumpet
Joseph Marrett - Bass
Ryan Connelly - Drums, Percussion
Nicholas Ward - Electric Guitar, Organ
David Michael Curry - Viola
Ryan H. Walsh - Guitar, Lead Vocals
All - Hand Claps
Something's in the breeze here
Got me on knees here
Desperate on a Saturday night
All the ghosts of my past
Pourin' drinks til they're trashed
To refrain wouldn't be polite
I'll get over it, if I can get out from under it
Phantom #1 says to Phantom #3
Hey friend, how did you get here?
Well we used to be lovers, she gestures to me
As #5 whispers in my ear:
You'll get over it, if you can get out from under it
Something's in the breeze here
Got me on knees here
Desperate on a Sunday night
All the ghosts of my past
Pourin' drinks til they're trashed
To refrain wouldn't be polite
I'll get over it, if I can get out from under it
Animals in Love (4 of Hearts)
Joseph Marrett - Bass, Bass Synth
Ryan Connelly - Percussion
Nicholas Ward - Piano
David Michael Curry - Viola
Ryan H. Walsh - Lead Vocals, Samples
With:
Jonah Sacks - Cello
John Vanderslice - Vocals
Ted Billings - Backing Vocals
Evan Sicuranza - Synths, Mellotron
Sentimental
Prone to feel
Sparks and kisses
Toe to heel
Crushing emotion
Big heartbreak
You're about to find out
Just how much you can take
When you're an animal in love
An animal in love
An animal in love
With another animal
Tunnel vision, sacrifice
Origin stories and endless nights
Is it bliss or toxic? Cool or hot?
When the wheel stops spinning
You better hope you're not
An animal in love
An animal in love
An animal in love
With another animal
So what can you do
When the animal is you?
You better hold on to your heart
Cuz it's about to get completely ripped apart
When you're an animal in love
An animal in love
An animal in love
With another animal
With another animal
With another animal
With another animal
Phantom Ring (5 of Hearts)
Brian Rutledge - Trumpet
Joseph Marrett - Bass
Ryan Connelly - Drums, Percussion
Nicholas Ward - Piano, Electric Guitar
David Michael Curry - Viola
Ryan H. Walsh - Guitars, Lead Vocals
With:
Alexey Zavgorodniy - Violins
Oh, phantom ring, I feel your touch
Though your symbolism is a little much
Now the devil may care but I loved her the most
This metal ghost, beyond reproach
Oh, phantom ring, s'il vous plait
But I'd like to stop thinking I still feel you, someday
It's not the spectre of the band that haunts my idle thoughts
It's what is not that's become my lot
Oh, useless key, you once gave me
Entry to the house where we lived in harmony
Now the locks have all been changed and new dreams grow inside
If our love survived it's hair nor hide
Oh, photograph of the night we met
Surrounded by those sailors singing on the deck
Well, the story's absurd but I loved to tell it so
How could I know which way we'd go
No jeweler forged it, it doesn't exist
But the sorrow it stirs puts my broken heart at risk
I know my mind is strong, I know this must all be inside my head
So if anyone can hear this, won't you please let me try to turn this gold back into lead?
Oh, phantom ring I remove thee
And toss you off a bridge into the deep, dark sea
Though the ripples you cause are only in my mind
They spread so wide
and the vision's mine
Oh, future days lay out ahead
Who knows? Maybe I'll find love again
See my hands no longer haunted, my arms they're spread like wings
You'll never hear me sing this little hymn
Oh, phantom ring
Everest (6 of Hearts)
Brian Rutledge - Trumpet
Joseph Marrett - Fuzz Bass, Synth Bass, Banjo, Organ
Ryan Connelly - Drums, Percussion
Ryan H. Walsh - Samples, Vibraslap, Chimes, Faux Timpani
Nicholas Ward - Piano
David Michael Curry - Viola, Chimes, Foley work
With:
Leeore Schnairsohn - Lead Vocals
Evan Sicuranza - Electric Bass, Backing Vocals
Where are you going to?
Our potential is thicker than blood (and I'm)
The dumbest of angels that's ever been assigned to you (so if)
You ever get lonely, dear, I will preserve your dreams
Like an animal or a rusty sunset.
We thrive in comedies
As the love letters fall down with the
Sinker debris. Now we all must remember this:
Time
Flows
And I
Should know
I'm the one who crushed every clock and to my chagrin watched as seconds marched on
It's true? Says who? We're all just passing through.
Been there; done that
It's the oldest hat
I'm off the map
Headed inside
To see what I can see
When I emerge, you'll all agree:
Become your own Everest
Then bring your mountain down to me
(I'm potentialing
No more wandering)
Become your own Everest
Then bring your mountain down
Restore this crown
Become your own Everest
Then bring your mountain down
We can leave this town
It'd be the loudest sound
If there comes a day I don't feel this way
I'll just fade away (repeat and echo)
Bring your mountain down to me (There's nothing stopping you now)
The Loudest Sound (7 of Hearts)
Brian Rutledge - Trumpet
Joseph Marrett - Bass
Ryan Connelly - Drums, Percussion
Nicholas Ward - Electric Guitar, Electric Piano
David Michael Curry - Viola
Ryan H. Walsh - Guitar, Lead Vocals, Synths
With:
Noell Dorsey - Vocals
Highlife
Low sun
Connections
Come undone
Hard year
Weird days
Sing it in key, the song remains the same:
Deep in your memory, that's where you'll find me
Every noise I make's the loudest sound
Unending dreamscape shattered by soundquakes
Every noise I make's the loudest sound
Triumph
Full moon
A loving embrace
Released too soon
It's not a home
Without you here
So sing it with me, if this hits your ear:
Deep in your memory, that's where you'll find me
Every noise I make's the loudest sound
Unending dreamscape shattered by soundquakes
Every noise I make's the loudest sound
Every noise I make's the loudest sound
Some Rest for the Wicked (8 of Hearts)
Joseph Marrett - Bass, Synth Bass
Ryan Connelly - Drums
Nicholas Ward - Organ, Piano
David Michael Curry - Viola
Ryan H. Walsh - Guitar, Feedback, Lead Vocals, Synths
With:
Oluwatosin F Choir - Vocals
Hi, it's been such a long, long time
Is there something that you left behind?
It might be in storage
You say, "We can't get back the days
And there is no one to blame."
But I took that as a challenge
Cause you know, wouldn't it be fitting
If the guilty came admitting
All they had done?
And hun, I know that you were kidding
Yet there is some rest for the wicked
Somewhere out there.
Let's not, but say we did, for old times
The poems that roll into peace signs
Think I'm gonna be sick
Oh right, here comes that old dynamic
The white wine, the car ride, the Xanax
And the half-remembered nights
Cause you know, wouldn't it be fitting
If the guilty came admitting
All they had done?
And hun, I know that you were kidding
Yet there is some rest for the wicked
Somewhere out there.
Well, this has certainly been unexpected
A surprise, I wish that you had texted
But I'm not wasting a wish
Cause you know, wouldn't it be fitting
If the guilty came admitting
All they had done?
And hun, I know that you were kidding
But there is some rest for the wicked
Somewhere out there
You Can Never Go Home (9 of Hearts)
Joseph Marrett - Bass, Backing Vocals
Nicholas Ward - Electric Guitar
David Michael Curry - Viola, Harmonica, Backing Vocals
Ryan H. Walsh - Guitar, Lead Vocals
Ryan Connelly - Backing Vocals
With:
Jonah Sacks - Cello
Adam Schatz - Clarinet
All you wanna do is go home
But you can never go home
All the front doors that you pass by open up as you approach them
But you can never go home
All the road maps with their details exact
Can't paint a highway that could bring you back
Oh, you can never go
Oh, you can never go
You can never go
You can never go home
All you wanna do is love
But you're always messing up love
The rush comes on so sweet then hits you with a tidal wave of feeling
Leaves you gasping on the shore
All the love songs that you play 'til dawn
Aren't of any comfort without the stereo on
You keep messing up
You keep messing up
You keep messing up
You keep messing up love
All you wanna do is start again
But can you really start again?
Race around the whole world searching for a new kind of existence
But you're still "you" in the end
Each new chapter begins with a "previously on"
If you try to hide it, it'll come out before too long
So you can never start
You can never start
You can never start
You can never start again
The Night Machine (10 of Hearts)
Brian Rutledge - Trumpet
Joseph Marrett - Bass
Ryan Connelly - Drums, Percussion
Nicholas Ward - Electric Guitar, Electric Piano, Piano
David Michael Curry - Viola
Ryan H. Walsh - Guitar, Lead Vocals
With:
Noell Dorsey - Vocals
I've always heard that you're everyone in your dream
But I'm never sure if I really know what that means
So I made a plan to see if it's really true
Lay next to me and we'll try to see this vision through
Turn on the night machine
Meet me inside the dream
Two souls cross the split screen
If you wake up before me
I'll be here all alone
But I'll just meet you at home
And soon there I was in a plane above the United States
The seat next to mine filled by someone with a familiar face
I said, "Hey, it's me, is it you that I'm looking for?"
You took my hand and we weren't on the plane anymore
Next thing I knew we were back in your childhood home
I had never been there so I had to take your word alone
You showed me the way that the pines cast shadows on the walls
And we agreed upon a phrase that we'd say to prove we shared these halls
When I came to you were wide-eyed layin' next to me
We said we'd say the secret phrase upon the count of three
My heart skipped a beat as we raced toward the moment of truth
Then in unison we uttered, "May you always drink from fountains of youth."
Turn on the night machine
Meet me inside the dream
Two souls cross the split screen
If you wake up before me
I'll be here all alone
But I'll just meet you at home
Something Great (Jack of Hearts)
Brian Rutledge - Trumpet
Joseph Marrett - Bass, Bass Synth
Nicholas Ward - Piano
Ryan H. Walsh - Lead Vocals, Mellotron Synth, Samples, Classical Guitar
David Michael Curry - Viola
With:
Mike Fiore - Backing vocals
I am trying to do something great
And you may never forgive me
I was trying to leave you a myth
But now I'm taking it with me
Once wrote a poem about you and me
Called "The Longest Night in History"
I we trying to do something great
You can certainly learn a lot
By watching someone lose something
I've been doing my share on both ends
So can I somehow be helpful?
Dress me up in a pageant sash
Reads "Cautionary Tale", I'll read to the class
You can certainly learn a lot
By watching someone lose something
So just hold on
Don't freak out
Easier said than done
Without a doubt
Just hold on
Don't self-destruct
If you think this is gonna be easy
Well, you're shit out of luck
You know that I love you
You left to see if the darkness above
Was tied to the two of us together
Would we both find sunnier skies
If we said goodbye forever?
Couldn't believe how bad it hurt
Screamin' at the devil, "Hey, come do your worst!"
And it took so long to realize
It could be a permanent sever
But I held on
Stared down the night
When I couldn't bare another second along came a light
I followed it to
A place where I could start again
Though, everyone here seems to know my smile's pretend
I remember you loved me
Now I know you've had your own travails
And this is just one half of the tale
So if you sing it
I will listen
But you gotta keep your end of the deal:
*Tell the truth even when it lacks appeal.*
You were trying to do something great
And I may never forgive you
Two new neighborhoods side by side
In the Broken-Heart district
I see you walkin' late at night
Weepin willows, old starlight
We keep trying to do something great
Well, hello old love
I've seen you around
Everybody starts out as a stranger in this town
Would you stop by for tea?
See what I done with the place?
It's just nice to be around your familiar face
You know that I love you
I know that you love me
It's so nice to meet you
So nice to meet you
Classic of the Genre (Queen of Hearts)
Joseph Marrett - Bass
Ryan H. Walsh - Classical Guitar, Lead Vocals
Nicholas Ward - Piano
David Michael Curry - Singing Saw
With:
Sabine Hrechdakian - Voicemail
I'm an engineer's dream
Sleepin' on a clean sheet
Taxi to the country
Only sky above me
Everything becomes possible
When I get next to you
You're a surrealist's best friend
We're kissing in the deep end
Whisper into my mouth
Everything you're on about
Look at me directly and
I'm reduced to something lighter than air
You're a classic of the genre,
But we both know the world's not fair
So crack me like a glow stick
C'mer, hear my heart tick
Tell me 'bout your worst night
Disaster under moonlight
Every time you tell me the same joke
You know I'm amazed
You're a classic of the genre
So I'm sure you're quite used to the praise
So fly me to the moon
We can't be leaving too soon
And then you turn to me
And you shrug and say,
"Well, honey, who says we haven't already arrived?"
You're a classic of the genre
But that doesn't mean we shouldn't try
You're a classic of the genre,
So just let me live in front of your eyes
Feels Like Forever (King of Hearts)
Brian Rutledge - Trumpet
Joseph Marrett - Bass
Ryan Connelly - Drums, Percussion
Nicholas Ward - Electric Piano
David Michael Curry - Viola
Ryan H. Walsh - Guitar, Samples
With:
Julia Papps - Lead Vocals
Rick Berlin - Vocals, Ad-Libs
Pulled out an old photo of you and me
Stared into past biography
The whole thing lasts
No more than five or six seconds
But it feels like forever
I ran into a stranger on a train
We locked eyes briefly, what could have been
I'd be surprised if he even remembered it just a few minutes later
But it feels like forever
Last night I had the strangest dream
I lived as another woman in another's dream
The experience lasted for years
woke up just a few hours later
But it feels like forever
And it feels
And it feels
Like forever
And it feels
And it feels
Like forever