When I found out that My American Heart put out their debut album when the average age in their band was 16, I must say, I was impressed. Now, their second album Hiding Inside the Horrible Weather is here and once again...I'm impressed. With an opening and closing selection of tracks that easily overshadows those that come between, their album is still a strong showing for a sophomore album. A great mix of dance and techno beats mixed with old-fashioned rock guitar, My American Heart finds a sound similar to the Killers and Head Automatica but lacks their more refined sounds.
As I said, the beginning and end of Hiding Inside the Horrible Weather contain the strongest tracks of the album. And what do you know? It was an even split - three and three.
The first three tracks "Boys! Grab Your Guns", "Speak Low If You Speak Love", and "The Shake (Awful Feeling)" are beautiful examples of a good band putting out great rock anthems. "Boys! Grab Your Guns" gives old fans and newcomers to the My American Heart scene an accurate forecast for the rest of the album's action: danceable rock. While you could simply look at the first track as simple political commentary, the catchy hooks turn it into something more - a track worthy of bobbing your head and raising your hand in typical rock approval fashion. "Speak Low If You Speak Love" holds a special place in my heart for combining a great (albeit short) guitar and drum instrumental sound (that I love) with a few lyrics ripped from the classic "That's What I Like About You". However, the third track, "The Shake (Awful Feeling)", ranks at the top of the album's offerings. It has the distinct sound of Head Automatica and offers everything you'd want from a rock song. A well-defined beat pulses underneath the ripping guitar of My American Heart's well-chosen first single off their sophomore album. I don't know for sure, but I'd say this one is destined for dance floor remixes.
The final three tracks "Moving On", "Fantasy" and "All My Friends" feature two great pop ballads and one great example of an emotional man with a guitar and the magic that inevitably comes from such a combination. "Moving On" and "Fantasy" are the two pop ballads and feature generic guitar, but are redeemed by great vocals and drums. "All My Friends" is the best of the three slower tracks on the album and for good reason. With a lone acoustic guitar and a single voice (at least at first) the song takes the closing of the album to a mature level that underscores some of the tracks that came before it.
While I praised the opening and closing of Hiding Inside the Horrible Weather, it's important to remember that I dismissed the songs in between as rather immaterial and inconsequential. This still stands. The caliber of the album is dragged down by these lesser songs to a quality of above average. But even so, a rather strong performance for a sophomore album by anyone's standards.
"Hiding Inside the Horrible Weather" is on sale June 26, 2007 from Universal.
