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Release date: August 3rd, 2018
Running time: 49:25, 11 tracks
I’ve been a Bleeding Hearts fan from their very beginning. I own their long deleted three early albums and I have posted a lot of news about them. Moreover, I reviewed their fantastic previous album “Folk’n’Glory”. Around 2013 Mark “Madfiddler” Knight left the band and they tried to find a replacement on fiddle. Apparently their search was not successful and Bleeding Hearts decided to follow as a four piece band sans fiddle. Once the kings of the British fiddle punk scene together with the mighty Levellers, Bleeding Hearts were forced to “drop” the fiddle. Anyway, they didn’t leave their anarcho folk punk.
Would Bleeding Hearts be able to keep their place at the British festival band scene? Foxie and his band mates have always been a hard-working band and his songwriting has never let us down. Then, the answer should be YES, they are still at the forefront of that scene. However, the obvious proof would be a new album. “The Rules of Division” is out and even if the stakes were high, the final result is a fine album.
A couple of drinking songs are some of the best moments on the album. “Down the Hatch” is the Bleeding Hearts’ answer to Christy Moore “Delirium Tremens”. Great work by Ewan on mandolin. No fiddle? So what! British folk punk at its best. “Whiskey is the One” is an ode to Jack Daniel’s. One of the catchiest songs on the album, it keeps the spirit of their earlier sound too.
More faves, tracks 1 and 6. “The Devil’s Mosh” showcases a new excellent sound based on a perfect balance between mandolin and electric guitar, while “Pleasure Hive” insists on that new sound adding a lot of la-la-las to sing along.
Other interesting numbers are “Cool Cats” (a different number that gets a club from the 50’s treatment), “Don’t Call this Love” (brilliant mandolin and woahs on a song that reminds me of the early songs written by Levellers member Simon Friend), “Common Man” (an upbeat song with a Pretenders vibe) and “This Nature” (a number with a passage that reminds me of Red Hot Chili Pepers and a great guitar work). Finally, the fast-paced (folk) punk anthem “Tory Attack” is the evidence that Bleeding Hearts’ attitude has not changed.
For those who still love physical CDs, the album comes in a jewel case with a 12 page booklet together with the lyrics to all of the songs. “The Rules of Division” album launch gig will take place on Saturday 17th November at Katie Fitzgeralds in Stourbridge.
Tracklisting:
01 – The Devil’s Mosh 5:42
02 – Cool Cats 3:18
03 – Common Man 3:35
04 – Don’t Call This Love 5:11
05 – Tory Attax 4:11
06 – Pleasure Hive 4:57
07 – This Nature 4:04
08 – Three Wise Monkeys 3:21
09 – Down the Hatch 4:30
10 – Whiskey Is the One 5:05
11 – All Fall Down 5:29
Click to buy
Review by Kinksmarkham
