joshthevegan

The Heartdrops were a '70's-style Social Distortion-influenced greaser punk trio out of New York City that I had the distinct fortune of seeing a good number of times in the late '90's. They often shared the bill with such acts as Grieving Eucalyptus, Walter Krug, and The Saps; bands that I made every effort to see whenever they played, so it was unavoidable that I should be exposed to The Heartdrops eventually.

"This Is The Heartdrops," the debut full-length for the band, is a great representation of their live show. Many of their stage classics ("Fool For Love," "1 2 3") are present and the recording is delightfully reverb-y and underproduced in a way that is reminiscent of the sound in, say, a small, smokey club.

The instrumentation is minimalist, as one would expect from this style, but that is not to say that it isn't exciting. In "Fool For Love" in particular, there is a huge swell in the middle of the song during the bridge that builds in to the guitar solo that in the hands of a lesser band would lack the passion The Heartdrops bring.

Heartdrops shows are some of my fondest memories of growing up in the punk rock scene here in the Lehigh Valley. I remember taking girls on dates to their shows and thinking that was as romantic as it could get. Every time I listen to this album, I am immediately transported back to a small club in downtown Bethlehem, and I can't help but smile.

This Is The Heartdrops - 8 out of 10