The Exploding Hearts' first and only full-length album to date consists of 10 near-perfect pieces of power pop. "Guitar Romantic" is the most fun album of the summer, rivaled only by The New Pornographers' new LP. This album should be your soundtrack to days spent driving around with nothing to do, and nights spent on the porch drinking cheap beer with your buddies.
The Exploding Hearts is comprised of Adam Baby (guitar, lead vocals), Terry Six (lead guitar, vocals), Matt Lock (bass, vocals) and Kid Killer (drums, vocals). Between these names and a pink and yellow color theme, it's clear that these guys don't take themselves too seriously. Thankfully, The Exploding Hearts know how to make a non-serious album; it comes off as fun and exciting, rather than inane and superficial. So what does "Guitar Romantic" sound like? Actually, the band's name says it all -- classic Motown-style pop melodies exploding in a sea of distorted guitar wailing and punky vocals. Looking at the production, every instrument is at the very front of the mix, making this album great to blast. The Rickenbacker guitars are raw and sometimes dissonant, just the way they should be. The Exploding Hearts sound like an actual garage band, rather than a studio band made to fit the garage revival aesthetic -- an all-too popular phenomenon these days.
Lyrically, The Exploding Hearts don't delve too deep, but the mix of typical love song lines and nihilistic punk lyrics work perfectly to compliment the music. In the first track, "Modern Kicks," Adam sings: "I'm all alone, and I love getting stoned, staring off into space." It's not exactly profound, but it's a lot of fun to sing along to. Many of the lyrics, however, are clever and well thought out, like this one: "Been missing from home since the age of 10. One-hundred dollar reward I think I'll turn myself in," from "Boulevard Trash."
Indeed, every song on the album is so laden with irresistible pop hooks that it's hard to choose standout tracks. This might be the only weakness of the album -- it's all so drenched in catchy hooks that some of the songs blend together. The Exploding Hearts wisely keep their album to around half an hour long, so it never really wears too thin and becomes a major problem.
Although upon the first listen, every song seems more enticing than the last, Guitar Romantic's greatest songs sit at the beginning and end. "Modern Kicks" opens with intertwining guitar lines, and then shortly after, the vocal hook kicks in. The effect is a song that is both pop and punk, but so much better than the neutered pop-punk that bands like Blink 182 play. This song is presumably about the movement to "modern kicks" (getting stoned) from more old-fashioned fun, namely love. Don't worry too much about the themes though -- it won't matter when the second chorus comes along and you're singing along.
"Jailbird" is another highlight. It's one of the album's poppier moments, but still rocks harder than just about anything on the radio. Adam sings about being taken away to jail on the day of his wedding, and "sniffing glue to get as high as you." The way he combines traditional themes, like being taken away from a lover, with irresponsible punk abandon creates a song that is cleverer than its inhalant-laden imagery suggests.
"Still Crazy" ends "Guitar Romantic" on a memorable note. It buries a terrific pop song under a wall of Sex Pistols-style guitar. If you can listen to this song without feeling compelled to sing along to the "yeah yeah's" that accompany the lead vocals, you have far more willpower than I do. This is an incredibly energetic song, and by the end of it, you, like The Exploding Hearts, will feel like you've got "2,000 milligrams running through my veins." Although, as far as I can tell, they never mention what exactly is in their system, but it must be incredible pop music in its purest form.
It's obvious that The Exploding Hearts love music, and unlike many of their peers, indulge in their material without any irony or self-consciousness. The band is against associating their work with a specific genre -- they just want to make great music, and they succeed admirably. "Guitar Romantic" is one of the most fun albums of the year, and even better considering that this is a debut album. Apparently, people have started to notice The Exploding Hearts' effort, and the band is now being courted by some larger labels. Do yourself a favor and pick up this album before it's all over the radio. "Guitar Romantic" will be your soundtrack to summer.
Note: Early in the morning of July 18, Adam "Baby" Cox, Matt "Matt Lock" Fitzgerald, and Jeremy "Kid Killer" Gage were killed in a car crash near Eugene, Ore., while returning to Portland from a concert. Only guitarist Terry Six and the band's manager survived. Pick up their CD, and think about what else might have come from these talented musicians whose lives ended tragically.
