Album Review: The Empty Hearts - "The Second Album"

 

Signed up to power pop specialists Wicked Cool and featuring the talents of Blondie's Clem Burke on drums, the Romantics' Wally Palmar on vocals and the Cars' Elliot Eatson on guitar, the Empty Hearts could certainly lay claim to being something of a power-pop supergroup and, as the title makes clear, this is their seventh album. Just joking.

It gets off to an enjoyably exuberant start with Coat Tailer sounding a bit like a more mellow version of the Dictators' classic Next Big Thing. Days Like These features none other than Ringo Starr on drums but sounds a bit too safe and mid-paced to really hit home. Thankfully though, the Motown style horns on Well, Look At You give it a bit more of a spark and gets this one back on track.

The Dracula-influenced Jonathan Harker's Journal takes things into more sinister territory with an impressive solo from Easton before Sometimes Shit Happens For A Reason goes back into power-pop territory to good effect and the frenetic harmonica-honking The Best That I Can is an absolute blast.

If I Could Change Your Mind and Come On And Try It are decent enough blasts of power pop but feel a bit like filler after what's come before. Luckily though there's a double shot of psychedelia with the gentle Lennonesque melodies of The World As We Know It Moves On and the sinister Haunting Of The Tin Soldier to right the course. Death By Insomnia steps the tempo up again with its stomping Hendrix style riff. The World's Gone Insane is an addictively spiky slice of garage rock and the sweet Beatles-y autumn psychedelia of Indigo Dusk Of The Night brings this one to a close nicely.

I wasn't sure what I'd make of this album going in but I'm impressed - the Empty Hearts are definitely way more than just a bunch of idea-free garage revivalists and with The Second Album, they've come up with comfortably their strongest effort to date. With tunes in abundance and a good amount of variety as well, this is a winner.

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NITE SONGS RATING: 🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌑🌑 (8/10)

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