With a moniker suggested by a certain Little Steven Van Zant (undoubtedly inspired by a song from his all-time favourite album – The Rolling Stone’s 12X5), The Empty Hearts are a garage/power-pop/new wave supergroup of sorts. Featuring Wally Palmar of The Romantics on vocals/guitar, Blondie’s Clem Burke on drums, Elliot Easton from The Cars on lead guitar and Andy Babiuk from the Chesterfield Kings on bass, the band formed in 2013 with just one rule – to have fun in the studio!
Their Ed Stasium-produced debut oozes with the kind of hook-laden, riff-driven, melodic, classic guitar-pop that their combined backgrounds might suggest. Unashamedly wearing their influences on their collective sleeve, The Empty Hearts pay clever homage to their roots without descending into parody. The frantically-paced opener ‘90 Miles An Hour Down A Dead End Street’ blends ‘60s song structures with ‘70s swagger, boasting a terrific middle-eight, followed by a blistering harmonica solo. The irresistibly catchy ‘I See No Way Out’ hints at The Stones’ ‘Let’s Spend The Night Together’ on part of the melody, while ‘I Don’t Want Your Love (If You Don’t Want Me)’ slows down the pace a tad on a classic slice of ‘70s-inspired Glam Rock (think ‘I Love Rock And Roll’ meets The Faces).
Meanwhile, a more acoustic driven mid-tempo tune, ‘Fill An Empty Heart’ echoes The Beatles’ ‘Things We Said Today’ while also boasting glorious harmonies and neat Hammond organ fills courtesy of ‘60s legend and former (Small) Face, Ian McLagan. Elsewhere, they kick out the jams on ‘Drop Me Off At Home’ which at times recalls The Georgia Satellites’ ‘Keep Your Hands To Yourself’, while both The Kinks (‘You Really Got Me’) and The Who (‘I Can’t Explain’) provide the template for the fabulously rocking ‘Soul Deep’.

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