The Twisted Hearts

as a fine purveyor of Enfield's local music scene, i was proud to have a physical copy of The Twisted Hearts' debut EP hand-delivered to my door by their drummer.  i had seen the band a few days prior at a charity fundraiser in Palmers Green, where the band had breezed through a blistering set that was short and sweet and all for a good cause, and had been promised a copy of the release would be heading my way very soon.

we stood there on the doorstep, making small talk, when it was noted that the cover of the CD was cracked, i was asked not to mention it in the review, i made no promises, but insisted that it would not reflect badly on my opinion of the music contained there-in (sorry Tom)

so let us concentrate on the music then!

the EP kicks off with a short 'Introduction' scheduled sensibly at the beginning, as if to whet our appetites, teasing lovers of the genre known as 'Rock' with an acoustic strumming that gives way to an electric guitar that swirls and soars before careering into the start proper of The Last Breath, that pulls no punches with its upfront riffs, pounding drums and grandstanding guitar solo.

© Annelie Rosencrantz 2011  http://www.anuli.co.uk/   

and as their debut progresses, we are shown a young band that are almost a step out of time with current trends, keeping with a traditional Rock n Roll sound that carries with it a bluesy garage stomp that features more than just a tip of the hat to the reverred sound of Jimi Hendrix and a mild case of psychedelia as evidenced on Paint Me Red.

with the exception of the down-tempo laid back funk of Chemistry, every track present seems to be more expansive than the small backroom venues that the band have been playing recently, equipping their garage-rock with an arena sized scope, especially with the revival of 80s hair metal guitar solos and power ballads in Walk To The Light that seems firmly aimed at Wembley and the lighters aloft tenderness of A Thousand Steps.

This isn't to say that there isn't room for improvement, with the recordings occasionally sounding a little rough around the edges, but The Twisted Hearts have clearly found their own niche and are revelling in it right now, with more gigs upcoming and a convincing statement of intent in the form of their debut EP, they have marked themselves out as a local act to keep an eye on.


stream: Walk To The Light by The Twisted Hearts
from the EP, The Twisted Hearts EP



credit where it's due:
photograph © Annelie Rosencrantz 2011  http://www.anuli.co.uk/