Customer Reviews

Guitar Romantic

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Zippy punk served up '77 style, from the shoutalong girl-group-derived melodies to the dayglo cover art to a mix that boasts all meters buried in the red. Lotsa fun, in other words, if just shy of greatness. Full marks for effort, though. This is what punk rock sounded like before it got codified into simple barre chords and zitty whining. If you've ever heard the Vibrator's classic "Pure Mania" then you're already well-acquainted with the game plan. And although it's all highly derivative, the Exploding Hearts at least show good sense and smart album collections in their choice of idols. It also helps that the band possesses an infectious exuberance and a seemingly limitless energy supply. With any luck, a million and one Good Charlotte-lovin' teenie punks will clutch onto this as their favorite album ever and all their subsequent bands will be formed in the image of the Exploding Hearts. And then the world will be a better place. Or something.

The loss of the Exploding Hearts in a tragic car wreck is one of the most depressing things to happen musically in the last few years. In this current scene, where 70's / 80's retro has become the hottest ticket around, the `Hearts stopped in to drop this `lil bombshell. If you scream for all the dreamy neo / retro punk / post-punk bands like Rapture, Hot Hot Heat, the Strokes et al. then please do yourself a big favor and pick up this release. It will kick in the door with its blazing raw punk beats (ala The Fall, The Clash, etc) punch those pretty boy bands in the nose , take their best girl and toss her on the back of their bike, and leave a big cloud of smoke and rubber in their driveway. There's the throwback love saga "Jailbird", there's the anathematic "Boulevard Trash", the blistering "I'm a Pretender", the very Clash-y "Rumours in Town". And if it were still the eighties, "Sleeping Aides and Razor Blades" would be the off kilter radio hit. Crap, lets face it every track on this album absolutely goes toe down, leaving you crying with a black eye and a big fat lip. Then there's "Modern Kicks", that's probably one of the best songs this decade, if not ever. A fired up guitar mugging of a song that has everything a classic song should have... shouting punk chorus, scorching guitar riffs and solos, and lead vocals delivered with a sneer. At a battle of the bands, it would be standing there laughing while those other MTV bands ran crying for their mommy.

The Exploding Hearts were a bunch of young kids playing a musical style twice their age but you wouldn't know that from their flawless recreation of the sounds of the classic rock n' roll/garage movement of the late 60's. Despite their youth, there's a timeless feel to their modern take on this genre as they belt through a series of rock n' roll originals that surely would have been chart toppers in that era. Helping this out is the absolutely retro straight out of the amp, fuzzy around the edges guitars and a strict adherence to blues based rock songwriting but with a superb flair for writing memorable songs that stick out from the considerable amount of bands playing this style past and present. They also incorporate some of the energy of the early British punk movement, keeping things moving at a brisk pace that keeps the interest level high from start to finish.

Beyond a couple almost ballads (they still rock!), most of the album is packed with upbeat numbers driven by raw, jangly guitars and almost non-stop lead guitar riffs. The lead work is especially good on this album, ranging from classic straight 50's greaser type solos to bold, anthemic solos that dominate tracks like "Modern Kicks" and "Rumors In Town". At times this comes across as a more poppy version of the New York Dolls but flush with the vibe and feel of a more straight rock version of The Undertones or The Vibrators. It has that same crazy punk energy but not the angry power chords, instead going with a more bubblegum rock style full of a ton of solos.

The vocals are fairly bubblegum as well with lots of back up vocals and tons of lyrics about girls but never come across as cheesy or forced. In fact they help to further cement their near perfect retro status as they sound straight off the teenybopper records of old, full of youthful energy for a brand new musical movement.

Sadly this first record is also the last as three fourths of the band died in a car accident coming back from a gig. Truly a tragedy as this was one of the best new bands I've heard in quite some time but at least they left this one gem of a record for us to remember them by.

Check out more review at ohboydestroy.

man oh man, if you love The Beat, Plimsouls, The Knack, The Clash and The Undertones, this record is for you!--these fellows sway you with sweet melodies and then proceed to rock your socks off...you won't believe how timeless this record sound--it's still early in the year, but "Guitar Romantic" may just be the power pop record of 2003!!

As a guy who has owned a copy of this record since its release in 2003, and played, and over-played the hell out of it, it has never once gotten boring, or old like some of the other formulaic music the radio or MTV tries to pass off as music. You can't however even compare this to the crap that gets airplay. It goes beyond the casual listen, it gets inside of you and makes you feel alive.
It has everything that makes a record great to me. Loud, brash vocals, loud brash guitars that have a melody, great hooks, and a lo-fi quality to the recording(it was recorded in a basement)though it sounds really really clear considering. It has charm, substance, and potential. These guys were only kids, and to think they could produce such hooky music is astounding.
Then the sad part.
This same music that makes you feel so alive inside was recorded only months before three fourths of this band would die in a car accident. Their one and only true studio album still stands above almost everything else in my collection and thats saying alot.
If you stumbled across this cd here, and are reading this review because a friend told you the story, or you read about them somewhere and were curious about the hype...its all it's hyped up to be. Don't hesitate and deprive yourself of this one magical moment in music history, just buy the damn record, sit back, smile, tap your feet, and try not to cry once you fall in love with the band and realize that there will never be another studio album.
RIP The Exploding Hearts

Every kid I've shown this band to either immediately fell in love with their incredible garagey power-pop sound or sheepishly added them to their 'favorites' list a few days later.

It's more than a shame that the band passed away in a van accident, but you've GOT to hear them if you haven't. They're absolutely incredible and their songs will stay embedded in your brain like superglue.

This is a great album. If you love rock and roll, punk rock, or hell, any good music at all - buy this CD. Every song is so catchy and fresh that you'll want to listen to the tracks over and over again. This is real punk rock and roll, and if you love guitars and good times, then this is a must buy.

In a way it's so sad to see such an amazing tallent leave us in the way that the Exploding Hearts left us. But they left at the top of their game. This album is one of the best. I hope that this bands tallent lives on. thanks for the amazing music,

This album is praised by critics everywhere, but none of them do it justice. This is the best album of the year, no doubt.

literally, this cd is just amazing. you will be hooked after one listen, guaranteed. i can't think of any cd more deserving of your money right now. it really is a tragedy 3 of the 4 of them died so young in a recent car accident, i know they would've been great. do yourself a favor and buy this, you won't regret it.
rip exploding hearts

to the person a few reviews down, the tracklist can be found on interpunk.com, but ya might as well buy it ;)