Bournemouth’s very own Kings of Hearts are looking to start off 2011 with a bang. They see in the new year with some new songs that are planned to be released as an E.P., and I have been tasked with checking them out to give you taste of what’s to come.
So is it a heart breaker or a king without a crown? Well this E.P. has pulled me in a few different directions, mostly in a good way, but a bit a little bit in a bad way I am sad to say.
I’m going to start with the bad, and that is in the form of the first track “Go Go Go!!” which is surprisingly lacklustre and uninspiring for such a positive title. The talent is there, no doubt, but this song just fails to deliver for me on a few different levels. One thing (that may not be very important to some) is the lyrical content is weak. Also there is not a really big hook to make me want to listen to it again. I am a little disappointed as it lets down an otherwise good quality E.P.
…but that is where my criticism ends as business really starts to pick up with “Lose Control”. It is a strange mix of U2 and lostprophets with the riffs and the reverb soaked clean lead lines supporting the thumping drums. A definite improvement on the first track and luckily for me and for them it gets better!
The star of the E.P. for me is “Nothing I Wouldn’t Do”. The chorus seriously rocks, it makes me want to play so many different air instruments at once. It is a good blend of classic and modern rock and is surely going to be a live favourite for the future.
Things are capped off nicely by “Fearless”, which builds from quiet and minimal to big and anthemic. The ultimate rock crescendo. I can definitely hear influences from The Police here with the clean lead guitar and intricate bass lines. Perfect song to end the E.P. on and hopefully end a future album on.
As a whole the Kings of Hearts E.P. showcases their talent for their instruments, their passion and gives a good live sound that is too overly produced. The main improvements I would make are to get the guitars a bit sharper (as they sounded a bit soft when distorted) and maybe reconsider “Go Go Go!!”. Apart from that the production, the song writing and the songs represent Kings of Hearts well and shows they are a band to look out for this year.
http://www.myspace.com/kingsofhearts
Words by Tom Fisher.
Pictures from the Kings Of Hearts.
