It’s hard to imagine what music would be like without the early to late
2000's push of independent and later major indie rock acts which took over the
youth of Britain. Since indie rocks departure in 2008/2009, music has changed
for good. People are no longer categorized within one separate niche, because
there is music out there that submerges genres and cultures. There is just
one thing bugging me, and that's the lacklustre indie rock acts of the 2010's.
Sure, the 'revival' may be on the cards with more dynamics and a supportive
community of fans, buts it’s still the same as it was in 2006. The Heartbreaks
are no exception to the rule. If they have added a slight pop hook or a 'surf
rock' influence vibe, then they're no different to The Drums. If they focus on
love lyrics and 'fun', then they're no different to The Vaccines. To put it as
nicely as I possibly can.. The Heartbreaks have no place in modern music.
Nothing is innovative or spectacular; they don’t create vivid imagery or have
musical skill. They're quite simply another indie rock band that are not as
good, as other indie rock bands.
Who am I to wipe away three years of trying to make it big? The Heartbreaks
have put in the effort and have the backing from some big names such as Carl
Barât and producer Edwyn Collins of Orange Juice. They do have fans and they
will have support from the NME, so they won’t be fading away any time soon.
Opener 'Liar, My Dear' is among the stronger tracks on the album with its pure
surfy introduction and lyrically satisfying verse. The track has some very loud
drumming which sounds too, too compact for my liking. The structure is present,
it’s just incredibly basic. I enjoy the little guitar riffs during the chorus,
but it sounds like I’ve heard it before, in a clothing shop. It’s that
commercial sound which is pulling me away from liking this track. It’s repeated
on the flowing track 'Delay, Delay' (Side note, this band really love their
commas). This track is in the same league as Busted and McFly, that kind
of sound and that kind of material. It’s essentially pop music with a small
'rock' twist, which is the love of the seaside.
'Hand On Heart' is much brighter musically, with an XTC styled opening with
the sprinkling electric guitar effects. That sounds great, as does the build-up
drumming; it’s just the chorus that ruins the track for me. Its predictable and
its common, nothing exciting or special, just a slowed down vocal with some
layers that have been written and performed several times before. 'Winter
Gardens' is again, a step in the right direction with the intro. The following
lyrics are good with lead singer Matthew Whitehouse delivering the best vocal
on the album. This track sounds like a poppy Arctic Monkeys if they lived in
Morecambe. 'Remorseful' has a chord progression that actually has been
performed in pop music several times before, and too my distress sounds like
Cyndi Lauper's 'Girls Just Want To Have Fun'. The
lyrics are horrible and all skill is taken away during the pre-chorus which has
a terrible guitar sound and a pathetic 'solo' which just doesn’t work with the
bass or the drumming at all, it’s there simply because they needed a solo.
Yet
another typical introduction on 'Jealous, Don't You Know' is enough to almost
send me over the edge and click that bright red delete button, but I didn't,
thankfully. The Heartbreaks are one of those bands that rely on production techniques
to boost their sound because (and I have seen them live..) they sound very
bland and simplistic without the production. This track is possibly the most
alike a 'hit single' because of the recurring chorus and the song structure
which ticks all the correct boxes for a single. The second half to this track
is actually my favourite musical segment on the album with the little Pixies-esque
guitar riffs and the breaks in structure which does actually show, momentarily,
musicianship.. This falls apart with the painful fade out at the end.
'Gorgeous'
is the most track that could be considered an Alex Turner track because of the
riff which sounds exactly like The Last Shadow Puppets - 'The Age of The
Understatement', just with an extra but of twang and compactness. I don't blame
the lads for sounding alike their influences, it’s just when they create music similar
to the point of annoyance that it becomes disastrous. The track blows right
over my head, same with the next track 'Polly', which without knowing.. On
paper is quite clear what the theme to the song is going to be about. Girls
name, indie band, BINGO! You’ve got it.. Yeah, Polly has a respectable
structure, but again comes across as pop rock, which just isn’t cool guys. They
wear standard clothing whilst performing and they sound simplistic and attempt
to add an edgy sound to their basic music. 'Save Our Souls' really is digging
deep into the album now. It has a bass riff that stands tall, as does the
percussion, but the vocal, lyrics and the guitar work is just simple and it doesn’t
move me or grab my attention in anyway. It’s just too basic, and it’s not
imaginative enough from their point of view.
The
album closes with one of the better tracks and older tracks in 'I Didn't Think
It Would Hurt To Think Of You'. This track has the best structure by far, with
a lovely breakdown and an actual likeable happy vibe which they portray greatly
on this track. The chorus is again very sentimental and pop structured, but by
this time I know what I’m expecting, its predictable to say the least. The
Heartbreaks pick up on 60's - 80's pop music and add their personal indie feel
to it. The thing is with 60's - 80's pop music is, it needs to be left where it
is, and not be re-made and re-designed for a 2012 influence. The Heartbreaks
have really under stepped the mark with Funtimes because of its simplistic
sound and place as an indie rock album with pop features. It doesn’t cut it for
me, and I don't want to hear any more new albums like this for at least 20
years.
~Eddie
3.2