Source: Album Artwork
Hold On To Your Heart is the fourth full-length release from the Scottish alt-rockers; it’s a highly anticipated release too, following the band’s appearances on the main stages of the celebrated Reading & Leeds festivals. “Hold On To Your Heart is about finding a pinhole of light in the dark and turning it into the sun. We really did shoot for the stars with this one,” was what frontman Murray Macleod had to say on the record, summarizing what plays out to be one fantastic feat.
The Xcerts ease into their newest album gently, with an emotional, piano-led ballad entitled ‘The Dark‘. It’s the perfect introduction for anyone who may not have listened to the band before and leads straight in to ‘Daydream‘, which is the album’s stunning pièce de résistance. The first single to be unveiled, and rightly so, it’s a powerful pop-rock cut that will give you one serious earworm.
‘Feels Like Falling In Love‘ strikes next, another single released last year which is a passionate tale complete with a killer breakdown. The instrumentals are perfectly paired with the lyrics, creating a fantastic alt-rock listening experience that, given the ever-changing nature of the music industry, is something that music fans haven’t been treated to in some time.
As consistent as they are diverse, The Xcerts drive through pop-dominant tracks such as ‘First Kiss Feeling‘, but then turn the tables on ‘Drive Me Wild‘, which is a steady onslaught of brilliant alternative rock— the cherry on top being the saxophone solo it boasts!
Every track on Hold On To Your Heart proves that this band holds the rarest and rawest kind of talent. There are no flat filler cop-outs, just dynamic, beautifully written gems. As the album closes with ‘Cry‘, which has a slow burn throughout, The Xcerts prove to have hit the nail on the head when it comes to the delivery of a phenomenal album release.
