Gunfighter is an album that has a number of twists and turns, allowing The Heart Pills to take on hints of mid-90s California, The Anniversary, and even hints of Bright Eyes before the initial effort Concrete ceases. Cowboy has a bouncy feel to it that will appease fans of NoFX and The Aquabats, even as an electric sound (think The Red Hot Valentines) plays at the periphery. The dynamic that the guitars and drums create during this effort showcase that The Heart Pills are a musically solid act.
Mississippi Johnny has a dust-swept mid-sixties cowboy feel to it; one can easily imagine that The Heart Pills have delved into the depth of Ennio Morricone’s and Dick Dale’s repertoire for influences. The vocals provide the narration for the track, and are inspired by Strike Anywhere and early Rise Against. Fiddler Diddler opens up with splashy drums and a fun sound that seems like a mix of Mojo Nixon, The Vandals, and The Dickies. While a good proportion of Gunflighter are tracks that end before the three-minute mark, the fullness of the compositions and heavy narrative quality of The Heart Pills will force listeners to focus in intently for a number of spins before hearing everything that the band has placed.
Gunfighter can be purchased from The Heart Pills’ Bandcamp (theheartpills.bandcamp.com/ ); the band keeps their Facebook updated regularly with their latest news and band happenings. This album is extremely solid and will stand up to repeat listens; if you like punk or thoughtful rock music, The Heart Pills are the band for you. Hope to hear that they are coming to our neck of the woods; I know I would drive up to Cleveland (~45 minutes) just to see them.
Top Tracks: Concrete, Mississippi Johnny, Fiddler Diddler.
Rating: 9.0/10
The Heart Pills Gunfighter CD Review / 2014 Self / 9 Tracks / www.facebook.com/pages/The-Heart-Pills/176586240274 / theheartpills.wordpress.com/
The Heart Pills Gunfighter CD Review
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