After a lengthy wait due to COVID delays, The Wandering Hearts have finally released their self-titled sophomore record that sees the band return to their roots. Here, Georgie Thorogood reviews the album. Stream The Wandering Hearts album here and read our review below.
An interesting combination of Americana, folk and gospel vibes, this self titled, The Wandering Hearts, album is musically very well made, successfully maintaining the roots of the band whilst blending it with a more pop-friendly sound. At risk of being a little dark at points, not necessarily lyrically but instrumentally, it is put together sufficiently that the listener is saved from falling off the edge of the cliff by the positioning of a more upbeat song to rescue them. Produced by David Baron who has experienced huge success with pop artists like Shawn Mendes, as well as artists such as The Lumineers and Simone Felice, a Folk and Americana genius, it’s inevitable for it to be a success.
The first song is Hammer Fall, a moody and atmospheric song kicking off with an instrumental intro, transporting the listener to the scene of a Western movie, an almost deserted town in the middle of the desert with dust and tumbleweed swirling around and the imminent probability of a gunfight breaking out between a couple of lone rangers. As the song progresses, the folky roots of the Wandering Hearts become more apparent and it ends up a clever mix of real Americana and folk music, channelling some early Enya. It’s not the cheeriest start to an album, but it’s immensely evocative and grabs the listener from the very beginning.
Over Your Body comes next and with a slightly more up-tempo beat and a more significant production, it still maintains the dark vibe, despite the lyrics talking about hope of breaking free. AJ leads the vocals on this track and it seems more clearly destined for commercial play than Hammer Fall which would explain it being the first single to be released from the album. It’s the women’s turn to lead the singing next with Build A Fire. From the outset, there is a more positive vibe to track three. The signature harmonies from the band are strong here and it’s one of the strongest songs on the album. The catchy, almost slightly gospel-esque chorus make it easy to enjoy and seem to spread positivity and cheer.
The tempo softens slightly next with I Feel It Too. Again, the female harmonies are prominent and their delicate vocals lend a beautiful tone to a lovely lullaby. It’s cleverly positioned in the running order and provides a nice bridge between the more heavily produced songs. The singing really does the talking on this track and it’s a favourite for me.
AJ’s vocals kick in straight away on the next track, Gold. This has a great mix of production, leaving the vocals alone to tell the story and then ramping it up for the chorus to make it impossible for the listener to not want to sing along! Again, it’s got a slightly gospel feel around the chorus despite the lyrics.
Delores has a very Celtic feel about it, fans of JEM in the ‘90s will enjoy it, and the lyrics tell a tale of strength. The gentle guitar accentuates the harmonies and it’s easy to imagine a live audience being totally silent and entranced. The long piano outro is a perfect way to round off a brilliant song.
We are back in the Western movie set again with Dreams. With a slightly ‘60s-ish vibe, it’s a really catchy song which is nicely produced and the long instrumental mid-way through the song. It’s hard to argue with the lyrics too, you’ve gotta have Dreams! Maintaining the retro theme with Never Too Late, AJ leads the vocals bringing an authenticity to the band’s UK heritage, there is no missing the English accent that some artists choose to disguise during song. Another cheerful song, it’s easy to feel this was flavoured by a love of music in the early ‘90’s, and whilst the notes accompanying the release reference Fleetwood Mac and Tori Amos as influences throughout the album, in this song it’s also easy to hear more pop influences such as George Michael, Take That (first time round!) and Rick Astley.
The mood changes again with Tell Me When I Wake Up. The beat marked by the guitar is almost metronomic and there is a trance like feel to the song. The variation in strength of the vocals throughout the song create more interest and again, it holds a Celtic vibe. Not really one to make a listener want to sing at the top of their voice with the windows down, it’s very “Wandering Hearts”.
Back with a bit more production for On Our Way, the windows might be down for this one. A really fun song, this is easy to listen to and has the potential to be a great summer song. It is slightly more commercial, but it would be difficult to listen to without feeling happy. Maybe not the most technically brilliant songs of the album, it’s definitely a favourite anyway.
Stardust starts off with the beautiful harmonies which are such a signature of the band. The cheerful vibe shines through again with this song, it’s another feel good listen. Both this song and On Our Way have been positioned well, to leave the listener with dry eyes and an optimistic feeling at the end of the album. The final song, Lullaby, is very short (1min 51seconds) and rounds off the album with the musical equivalent of a hug, tucking you in nicely and saying goodnight. Not many bands would be able to pull this off, but it is quite simply made for The Wandering Hearts.
