Upper echelon creative collaborations appearing every other day haven’t seen so much of new wave artists’ involvement – perhaps, because of their music’s insular nature. Yet THE EMPTY HEARTS are exactly that, as the band’s name suggests, even though it was thought up by Little Steven for a non-existent collective. In the flesh now, the ensemble line-up is comprised of BLONDIE’s drummer Clem Burke, THE CARS’ guitarist Elliot Easton, THE CHESTERFIELD KINGS’ bassist Andy Babiuk, and THE ROMANTICS’ vocalist Wally Palmar. All of them have always had a retro streak which is a thread to hang their self-titled debut on.
Out on August 5th, “Empty Hearts” contains a dozen of freshly minted tracks with a defiance hidden in each one and featuring the organ of THE (SMALL) FACES’ Ian McLagan. Whether it’s a one-album thing remains open but it’s good to have it while it lasts.
Empty Hearts
- 90 Miles An Hour Down A Dead End Street
- I Don’t Want Your Love (If You Don’t Want Me)
- (I See) No Way Out
- Fill An Empty Heart
- Soul Deep
- Loud And Clear
- Perfect World
- I Found You Again
- Just A Little Too Hard
- Drop Me Off At Home
- Jealousy
- Meet Me ‘Round The Corner
