Candy Hearts, Making It Brief

Candy Hearts’ little bursts of alt punk fusion aren’t indulgent or pushed passed due. They’re just four musicians having a good time for short moments at a time, entering a creative universe expanding quicker than the big bang. No song on Ripped Up Jeans & Silly Dreams eclipses the four-minute mark and most tracks are either just past one or two minutes. This dedication to simplicity is the saving grace of the album, allowing the riffs and cords to hit and run with steady effectiveness.

The first few tracks are grinding and distorted, much of what you would expect from an independent band from this genre. But the second saving grace of the record is the change of pace that begins with “Flashers Flashing,” which allows Mariel Loveland to flaunt her sweetheart voice over twinkling post rock guitars and a building hypnotic beat. When the distortion finds its way back mid-track it seems more in good taste, briefly bringing it all home without getting too grimy.

“Hiding From Friends” pretty much has the inverse arrangement, “Why” keeps it clean, front to end, and ironically “Without Caffeine” boosts back the energy, but with a slight disco infusion. The next few tracks run through different punk-pop styles with short hit-it-and-quit-its, followed by the (heartwarming?) track “Anything” and the all acoustic “Size of The Moon.”

The album ends on a weird note, however, with the seemingly unfinished (or unpolished) “Cracks Beneath Closed Doors.” The song is fine and it actually has some of the coolest effects on the record but the production seems undone, laying heavily to the left, really throwing off its balance. But alas, it was left for last, so maybe they were just hoping no one made it to the end. But probably not.

For more information on Candy Hearts check out their official website, MySpace, Facebook, and Twitter pages. Get Ripped Up Jeans and Silly Dreams now here!

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