H.E.A.T. - There For You

"I wanna be there for you"

Given that H.E.A.T.'s song was a surprise favorite of mine in this year's Melodifestivalen, I knew I had to check out their debut album, which is being rereleased this week. It's pretty much more of the same, which is a good thing. In my opinion the first handful of tracks are the strongest, especially the lead track There For You. These guys have an extremely authentic 80's rock sound that manages to be a throwback without being cheesy (like fellow Swedes The Poodles). The opening guitar riff is all you really need to hear to know what you're getting. Melody is always at the forefront, even when the guitars are blazing. I feel like this is a band that has the potential to get even better with their next album. After all, my favorite track of theirs is still their most recent, 1000 Miles. It won't win Melodifestivalen, but it was a refreshing burst of energy in the competition anyways.

(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Buy the album here.)