Power-pop group believes in a thing called Love

Warm Soda‰’s debut LP, Someone For You, was one of the most underrated albums of 2013. Taking after their namesake, Warm Soda boasted a sound on that album in which the vocals were undeniably sweet, while the choruses on highlights like “Jeanie Loves Pop‰” and “Someone For You‰” were delightfully sticky. Fortunately, not much has changed on follow-up Young Reckless Hearts, which is still as simple and good-natured as its predecessor. Frontman Matthew Melton consistently sings in a hushed, polite tone that compliments the love struck power-pop tracks that populate the record. Melton and his band are unapologetic optimists, and if nothing else, their songs make you feel just as good about life as they do. Nowhere is this truer than on “Things That We Said,‰” which has a melody that serves as further encouragement that, as the lyrics suggest, “everything is gonna work out fine.‰” Hearts is far from perfect, as the production lacks some punch, and some songs simply just don‰’t have a strong enough hook. (However, the less catchy songs are usually supplemented by some nice guitar work, as if Melton knew they needed something to stand out.) Regardless, Young Reckless Hearts is another winning collection from this group of lovers who won‰’t leave the garage.

RIYL: King Tuff, The Strokes, Free Energy
Recommended: 1, 3, 6, 7, 10, 12