For their debut album, Philadelphia Five Piece, Cassettes, have described Wild Heart as a love letter to the FM era and you know what, that description is absolutely spot on. This is great Pop Rock and I'm in far more familiar territory here. If Cassettes want to bring FM Power Pop back to the masses, I'm happy to carry a banner.
Wild Heart is beautifully produced and although I'm reminded of more current affairs like Somerdale and Vegas With Randolph, most will think more of Kenny Loggins and Rick Springfield. However this isn't straight AOR, it leans more towards Power Pop and the great Pop Rock albums of the Mid 70's. The likes of John Miles, Pilot and Jigsaw spring more to mind.
The One is 100% Power Pop and wonderfully so and it's the Power Pop here that is most engaging. Songs like She Get's What She Wants, I Wanna Know and Mother Teresa stand up with anything in the genre, past or present.
One Million Guitars sounds like something off the Footloose soundtrack, Born In The 90's is great American Teen and American Movie reminds me of a popped up Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers. There's even a fantastic semi instrumental closer, Huey Lewis And The Blues which rocks out like a good 'un, a sort of Now 70's.
There's so much to like here and it's refreshing to hear Power Pop done so well by a band under the age of 50. The beauty is that this isn't pastiche, the songs are stand alone great. I can't recommend Wild Heart highly enough. It's poptastic.
You can listen to and buy the album here.
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