Heart
Red Velvet Car
(Sony Legacy)
The Wilson sisters are at it again—Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart, that is. This first release of new Heart material in six years, Red Velvet Car, sounds very much like music from the band’s older albums.
The first tune, “There You Go,” is a loose, mainly acoustic groove with restrained vocals from Ann. “WTF,” the second track, is brilliant, with Ann wailing, solid drumming from Ben Smith, and acoustic and feedback-heavy electric guitars. If radio was what it used to be, this would definitely be a hit.
“Queen City” could be both an older Heart tune (say something from their Dog and Butterfly era), while cradling some newer sensibilities of sound. “Wheels” is another rockin’ song with drummer Smith really moving and Nancy’s driving acoustic. While “Saffronia’s Mark” sounds a lot like the music from the band’s second album and features a mandolin/acoustic guitar mix, “Death Valley” is a heavy, jangly rock song that could have been off their Bebe le Strange album.
Nancy sings lead on “Sunflower” and “Hey You”, showcasing both her guitar prowess and slightly hippie sensibilities. Although “Sand” has pretty banal lyrics, the chorus sounds good enough to push some poignancy on this last tune.
Red Velvet Car features ten great tunes of the older Heart sound that are enough to get your old ticker pounding!
