Fourth of July - Before our Hearts Explode

Range Life
2010

I hate saying this, but I never really was all that into On The Plains. I listened to it a few times, because my friends fucking love that album, but it never really topped the list of albums I wanted to listen to. When these guys play I try to make it out to show some support for local music etc. etc.

A few weeks ago I was driving around on a Thursday night (had to think about that for a second) and Fourth of July was doing a live studio performance on KJHK. I thought the two songs they played were pretty damned good, and they had a live show coming up, so I went ahead and tried to find this album so I could listen to it before their show. I passed it off at first and went to see them at the Taproom, spent way too much time outside with my friend Peter smoking cigarettes and I was way tired from getting smashed the night before. It was still a good show because my friends and I had a great time when they played that song "Photograph" which is probably one of the best songs off of On the Plains, and these guys sound pretty killer live, even at the fucking Taproom.

Anyways, I decided to give this record another listen, and I have to say, it's actually pretty fucking good! There's lots of really catchy songs on here! "Friend of a Friend" is a great song to kick off the record to. It's a great rock song. "Providence" really sticks out with the fucking horn part and shit. I really dug "I Don't Want to Lose You" - it has this really catchy guitar solo in it. I really liked the lyrics on "L Train," probably because I can relate to that song. This album has tons of great lines about heartbreak, bitches going to fucking France and leaving people behind here, getting drunk at Free State Brewery, and getting stuck in this town while others have moved on. At least, that's what I pulled out of the record, and I guess I could relate to it. Maybe I should give On the Plains another listen, but for some reason, Before our Hearts Explode does a really good job capturing how this town makes me feel. The songs on this album sum up what it means to live in Lawrence, KS- all of the disappointment, the vortex of this town, watching people you know leave, and getting drunk (at Free State) to forget that everyone you know has moved somewhere else to start their lives.

4 out of 5 steering wheels.