SUMMARY: RUNNING TIME: 36:00 Min.
Released in the U.S. by Mercury Records in September 2009, Wild Young Hearts is the second studio effort from British pop-rock/soul band, The Noisettes. Lead vocalist/bass player Shingai Shoniwa and bandmates Daniel Smith (guitar/keyboards/back-up vocals) and Jamie Morrison (drums/percussion/back-up vocals) co-wrote the tracks. They received additional songwriting help from George Astasio (Track 6) and John Frederick Fortis (Track 7).
The album’s ten tracks are:
- Wild Young Hearts (2:56)
- Don’t Upset the Rhythm – Go Baby Go (3:42)
- Never Forget You (3:11)
- Saturday Night (3:14)
- Atticus (4:16)
- Every Now and Then (3:41)
- 24 Hours (3:49)
- Beat of My Heart (3:24)
- Sometimes (4:06)
- Cheap Kicks (4:38)
Note: The band’s British distributor is Vertigo Records, which had released this album five months earlier.
REVIEW:
No matter how obscure it may be, this album’s pure fun quotient is impressive. Anchored by Shingai Shoniwa’s effervescent vocals (sometimes reminiscent of classic doo-wop), Wild Young Hearts gleams by blending pop-rock, R&B/soul, indie rock, and dance into a bubbly pop cocktail. For instance, with such well-written lyrics, hearing an up-tempo track inspired by Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird (Track # 5) is something else.
Kudos should really go to The Noisettes for the depth of the album’s lyrics. Frankly, there is not anything shallow emanating from Wild Young Hearts, especially as each track’s lyrics and melody is distinctive.
The sole detriment is that this album flies by almost too fast. Including a few bonus tracks would have been much appreciated, as there is no risk of Wild Young Hearts wearing out its welcome. Despite falling off the Grammy Awards’ radar, this ultra-appealing 2009 Noisettes effort merits re-discovery.
PACKAGING:
Th CD is well-protected inside a standard casing. Without track numbers, the song titles appear on the case’s back. Accompanied by several terrific pictures of the band, the insert booklet provides song lyrics (in poetry form), thank-you’s, and technical credits. However, the track running times are not included.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 8½ Stars
