This San Francisco band signed Geffen last year within a month of playing its first live gig, and lead singer/songwriter David Fisher had never written a song until three years ago. Big Blue Hearts appear deserving of such attention based on this promising debut.
Big Blue Hearts is jammed with tightly-packed melodies punctuated by an endless procession of tasty licks and sweet vocal harmonies. The tunes have a confident swagger and a fluid delivery rarely found on any debut. The band enlisted producer T Bone Burnett to consult on the project, and his suggestions certainly added polish to the smooth delivery of layered rockabilly guitar romps and thoughtful ballads.
Fisher’s vocal delivery no doubt will evoke comparisons to Chris Isaak for his lonesome, shimmering verses of heartache and melancholy, but he’s equally adept at smoldering, fiery jabs into old-time rock on songs such as “Don’t Mind Messin'” and the quirky hidden-track rave-up “Blame It On You”, on which the band finally gets the chance to be a pleasantly off-kilter.
Yet while the overall musicianship is impressive, the relentless pursuit of perfection might ultimately be a flaw. If just a few crackles or sloppy chords were allowed to offset some of the sweetness, the disc would be much more alluring.