The Heartbreaks - Funtimes

This debut seems a long time coming after the release of first single 'Jealous Don’t You Know' in April 2011 but at last, it’s here. During the past 12 months, Miles Kane has created an undercurrent of success for classic song structure and 60's pop, and now The Heartbreaks look set to follow in his footsteps.


The album is a joyous romp from the off, with 'Liar, My Dear'; this year’s firm favourite to feature on an animated iTunes advert. Imagine if The Kooks weren’t shit, then you’re almost there. Current single 'Delay, Delay' follows this style and takes the album up a notch. The NME gave this a bit of a kicking recently, leading with 'Another kingly-jangly indie pop band singing about nothing'. Now, we all love ground-breaking, life-affirming pop tunes but we at TT acknowledge that they are rare and realise that is why they are so special. What is on the menu here is pop music in its simplest form. A catchy repetitive chorus set to the tune of The La's at their best. It may not be reinventing the wheel but who cares? It’s fun, it makes you smile and want to sing along, and it’s independent. With the NME fervently against them, it will do the world good to remember that music is not one long Mercury Awards wankfest.


Evidence that there is more to The Heartbreaks than 60s pop heaven is in the form of 'Winter Gardens' and 'Hand On Heart'. The latter sees Matthew Whitehouse give the nod to the vocal delivery of a young Elvis Costello on 'Oliver's Army' and 'I Don't Want To Go To Chelsea' whilst the free-flowing guitars are reminiscent of The Wannadies' 'Might Be Stars'. The Vampire Weekend riffs in 'Winter Gardens' suggests if Nusic Sounds give the lads time there is a lot more to come from this band!


'Jealous Don’t You Know' is an obvious tune to discuss on Funtimes. It has the type of pop immediacy Jarvis Cocker said was lacking from guitar music these days. It saunters along like The Cure's 'Friday I'm In Love' and is a hair’s breadth away from being just as good. Lyrically, it is a really sweet song displaying the naïve youthfulness of boys falling hopelessly in love and having no grip on their feelings when the bad times come. JDYK, and in particular 'Polly', demonstrate the band’s love of Morrissey and his incessant need to be wanted by what he can’t have. Despite being entrapped by beatific melodies, it’s hard to escape the image of a young lad playing 'Please Please Please, Let Me Get What I Want' 58 times in a darkened bedroom and each time expecting a happy ending. TT can assure you all it never comes.


Funtimes is released 7th May