One of Vancouver's soaring power pop bands, Sweetheart, return to the grind with their latest EP, the unsurprisingly titled, six-track, XOXOX. Fans of Sweetheart will find no unexpected surprises on this 20-minute EP, though it is by no means a disappointment. It is clear that the trio have found their pocket and are quite comfortable in it, letting their own chops shine through with little regard to the "correct" way of doing things.
The album opens with "Perfect" before quickly moving into the hilariously titled "David Bowie is Dead?", a Britpop track that should entice disillusioned twenty-somethings across Canada. Over a strong, driving, backbeat, frontman Marty Zylstra sings, "Your boyfriend said/That your girlfriend said/David Bowie is dead." These are not the most complicated arrangements on the planet, but such is the emotional import behind the band that the simplicity works in their favour, letting their hearts burn brightly on their sleeves.
Album standout, "London Girl," sounds cool and sophisticated, opening with a subdued line that gradually opens up into the chorus. Sweetheart cast direct lines to their influences across the ocean in England, such that you could easily mistake them for the bands that gained popularity in the early 2000s like Franz Ferdinand, the Strokes, or even America's take on it all, The Killers.
"Dance all day until you feel alright," screams Zylstra on "London Girl," his head thrown back for added reach. Take their advice: you'll feel awesome.
- Sebastian Buzzalino
From Beatroute Magazine, November 2011
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