WHO ARE THEY? The on-again, off-again, ever-changing and recently reunited British hard-rock antiheroes fronted by singer-guitarist, chief songwriter and sole permanent member Ginger Wildheart.
WHAT IS THIS? A six-track EP that arrives five months after the deservedly acclaimed comeback disc Renaissance Men, the band’s ninth album and first new release in a decade.
WHAT DOES IT SOUND LIKE? Classic Wildhearts — which is to say, arena-sized guitar-rock anthems sweetened with poppy melodies and spiked with punky propulsion.
WHAT SHOULD IT BE TITLED? The Cure For What Ails You.
HOW SHOULD I LISTEN TO IT? While banging your head, pumping your fist, playing air guitar and moshing around your house — not that you’ll have any choice, since it’s impossible to listen to this while sitting still.
WHAT 10 WORDS DESCRIBE IT? Aggressive, full-blooded, hooky, powerful, noisy, turbocharged, driving, passionate, intense, rambunctious.
WHAT ARE THE BEST SONGS? It’s all killer, no filler. You can’t go wrong.
WHAT WILL MY FRIENDS SAY? ‘How is it possible that a band this awesome is still completely unknown in North America?’
HOW OFTEN WILL I LISTEN TO THIS? Often enough that the disc should come with a warning about its addictive properties.
IF THIS ALBUM WERE A MEDICAL TREATMENT, WHICH ONE WOULD IT BE? Electro-shock therapy.
SHOULD I BUY, STREAM OR STEAL IT? In an ideal world, this would be covered under your health-care plan.
