We’ve all been there. From ‘Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright’ and ‘Without You’ to the entirety of Rumours, nothing quite stirs the heart or imagination as much as tales of lost loves, heartaches and heartbreaks. So when The Xcerts frontman Murray Macleod went through a major relationship break up, it was perhaps natural that he would put pen to paper and write the pain away. Rather than wallowing in misery, however, it is an album that seems more intent on dwelling on the good times as opposed to dragging up bitter memories. It is a highly polished piece of work that looks to be casting more than one eye on the American market by capturing the essence and fun of drive-time power pop-rock.

The Brighton-based band have always had a fluid approach to style and delivery, but the instinct for a strong hook and melody has always been there (just listen to ‘Aberdeen 1987’ from their 2009 debut In The Cold Wind We Smile). Whereas the follow-up, Scatterbrain, beefed things up with a Weezer-ish vibe, their last album There Is Only You returned to that perfect spot between power pop and rock. Hold On To Your Heart represents another leap, and as it opens with the soft piano-led ‘The Dark’, an unnerving memory of a white-suited Johnny Borrell appears fleetingly as Macleod mournfully sings “You found love and I found loss, that’s just the way it goes”. If ever a song deserved a soft focus video then it’s this, and it is feels jarringly different from anything they have done before. It is the one moment of Macleod feeling sorry for himself, before they quickly shift through the gears and we are firmly in classic 1980s US pop-rock territory.

It is nigh-on impossible to make a big American-sounding rock album without inviting comparisons to either Bruce Springsteen or Tom Petty (just ask Brandon Flowers or Brian Fallon), and in truth there is absolutely nothing wrong with setting out to achieve that. Indeed, Macleod has been very open with his influences on the recording here – though in reality, his vocals and the sugary rush of surging guitars present throughout are more reminiscent of Bryan Adams than anyone else. Of course the difference between pastiche and influence lies in the quality of the songwriting, and the album delivers by the truckload. ‘Daydream’, ‘Feels Like Falling In Love’ and ‘First Kiss Feeling’ are impossibly catchy anthems-in-waiting, and seem destined to dominate radio airwaves on both sides of the Atlantic.

While the title track is a beautiful reflection on the good times of a relationship, it is with the stunning ‘Drive Me Wild’ that we reach peak-Springsteen aided by a fantastic saxophone part by Black Peaks’ Will Gardner. With ten songs all based on the end of a relationship (if you don’t like break up songs, then move along because there’s nothing else to hear here), there is a danger of repetition that producer Gary Clark has skilfully helped the band to avoid. He has worked wonders in capturing and portraying the sentiment and heartache of this event without ever letting it become less than a high-octane thrill ride.

Every moment on Hold On To Your Heart feels considered and deliberate, every fade and rush chosen and executed perfectly. There is a chance that the polish could prompt some divisive opinions – Scatterbrain fans may miss the rough edges, but overall it feels like it has gained far more than it has lost. Above all it is an album that truly creeps under your skin. On first listen, everything feels slightly familiar. Second time round, a few choruses have stuck. By the third, they have all firmly lodged themselves inside your brain and refuse to climb out. Heartbreak has never been this much fun.

Jamie MacMillan

Website – theXcertsband.com
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