The Xcerts are growing into a superb act. The Scottish outfit blaze the trail for rock music, ascending from under the shadows. They aren’t a Biffy Clyro carbon copy, they’re a band of individuality and originality. Seeing them elevating is great for Scotland and for rock as a whole. They’ve blossomed with their emphatic contributions, competing for a gold plated crown, a chance to materialise a revolution.
The act hail from Glasgow, a City steeped in culture and diversity. From there, they’ve monumentally created something delightful, but hauntingly dark. Previous record There Is Only You was a dark affair too, a blistering piece of melodic rock which didn’t break boundaries. There were some absolute gems on that album, but new opus Hold On To Your Heart is a step up. A complete compendium of rage and love.
Lead singer Murry Macleod sings fearlessly, offering a voice of reason, vocals of desire. His singing voice is unique. He wants the sky to be imprinted with his lyrics too, words which dazzle like diamonds. These strands of poetry have certainly been melded together properly. They’re measured and honed.
There are plenty of emotional heart-pullers on Hold On To Your Heart. Moments of broken clarity, pieces of truth smashed. It’s like a tornado of pessimism has rushed through, breaking hopes and dreams. But, we expect this from The Xcerts. They’re a unit of emotional travellers, taking snippets from dark places, stepping on hallowed ground, trying to escape the burdens of daily life. Thank goodness for music.
Hold Onto Your Heart will please the masses. It isn’t fully polished, there is still enough rawness there. ‘Daydream’ ignites the flame completely. The breakthrough of soaring guitar lines add a sonic charge to Macleod’s bashful vocals. The lyrics are simply put: he is seeking a girl, a woman of hopefulness. ‘First Kiss Feeling’ is an anthem of negativity. Macleod is searching for someone to ease his hurt, but comes undone. He is lying awake, thinking about past mistakes. The breakneck guitar sequence adds body. ‘We Are Gonna Live’ starts with a blistering riff, Macleod strives for answers. Life was beautiful, now it’s turning ugly. Darkness impedes, covering everything. The chorus strings everything together here, it truly is a masterstroke.
The Xcerts are branching out. Hold Onto Your Heart is a step up musically and lyrically. It is poetic with perfect rhythm.
Hold On To Your Heart is out now on Raygun Records.
