Free from the clutches of Covid 19, Tuk Smith & The Restless Hearts have arrived returning to the world of Rock ‘n’ Roll with their debut album titled ‘Ballad of Misspent Youth.’
Recommended for fans of: Motley Crüe, Def Leppard, The Clash
As many people will have noticed, as the claws of Covid finally retract themselves from the world, the music industry is one of many that has finally begun to thrive again after so many months of forced absence. The return to normal has brought both old and new to the alternative scene, with some eager to get back to their days of touring and recording, and others were able to build while the world was seemingly ground to a halt and are now eager to share what they have created. For Tuk Smith & The Restless Hearts, it’s actually a little of both.
Having formed and released their first single just before covid decided to bite the planet in the ass, Tuk Smith & The Restless Hearts had already bit of a reputation and were even arranged to go on tour with Def Leppard and Motley Crüe. However, the tour was inevitably cancelled, and the band had to resort to working from home alongside everyone else. Despite this, Tuk Smith & The Restless Hearts remained focused and attempted to make the best of this situation; with fronter Tuk Smith using the time to let his inspiration flow into new songwriting, a decision which resulted in five singles being recorded and released over the course of 2020.
And now with 2022 nearing its end and covid an almost distant memory, Tuk Smith & The Restless Hearts have returned once again with their brand-new album containing eight brilliant rock and roll ballads.
As many will already know, two of the eight tracks have been released early and are available for the public on any chosen streaming service, Ballad of Misspent Youth and Everybody Loves You When You’re Dead. These tracks are certainly reflective of your typical Rock ‘n’ Roll anthem, with Ballad Of Misspent Youth telling a tale of wasted life and misfit behaviour. Set to a steady tempo of electric guitar and fast paced drums, this song will have everybody looking back fondly on their youthful days thinking “Damn I did some things I shouldn’t have done back then”. Everybody Loves You When You’re Dead is very similar, specifically regarding its instrumental use. The drum, guitar, and vocals keep a constant upbeat and cheery tempo, only this time it is offset by the lyrics, as they tell a rather sad message that nothing really matters as people only care about you when you’re gone. Not the most cheerful message, but the song is so catchy you can’t help but love it anyway.
The remaining six tracks are all of a similar design, and much like all typical ballads it’s the lyrics and the messages they convey that usually create the most impact on people. Tracks ‘Shadow On The Street’ and ‘Ain’t For The Faint’ are both thrilling fast paced pieces about wanting and living an ‘all or nothing life’ full of danger and risk, emphasised with a fast tempo of drum and bass with wild electric guitar. ‘Girls On The Eastside’ and ‘Lovesick City’ are perhaps the most generic out of all the songs on the album, but both are still fun, humorous songs about laughing at other people’s infatuations that will have you tapping your feet and nodding your head along with rhythm. Even ‘Say Goodbye,’ by far the most bittersweet of all of the songs as it tells a tale about wanting to run away from an unhappy life, is still so upbeat with its tempo that you can’t help but smile when you hear it play. However, rather than juxtapose the lyrics this time; Say Goodbye’s rhythm and vocals work with lyrics to bring forward emotions like hope, seeming to almost reassure us that the right amount of faith can get us through anything that life throws at us.
With all of this and more, I truly recommend ‘Ballad Of Misspent Youth’ and Tuk Smith & The Restless Hearts to anyone that loves to hear great rock and roll or a great power ballad. This band has truly mastered the ability to deliver an emotional song that can either raise your spirits, make you sad, or have you laughing about yourself or other people that spring to mind. This is a fantastic example of powerful music, and the band themselves deserve all of the praise for creating these masterpieces. I myself am eagerly awaiting for what comes next, and I have a good feeling after hearing this album, you all will be too.
‘Ballad Of Misspent Youth’ Release date: 4th November 2022
Track Listing:
Ballad Of Misspent Youth
Girls On The Eastside Of Town
Aint For The Faint
Everybody Loves You When Your Dead
Shadow On The Street Say Goodbye
Lovesick City
Forgive But Wont Forget
