aaamusic | On 11, Jun 2012

H.E.A.T have been playing together for a number of years and had a massive hit with their song “1000 miles” in 2009 which allowed them to tour ever since. In 2010 they gained a new singer in Erik Gronwall (winner of Swedish IDOL in 2009) and it seems as if ‘Address the nation’ is their opening statement to their followers old and new. All of the tracks on this album follow the same formula- they are upbeat, energetic rock songs with big choruses, numerous guitar solos and an overall 80s rock vibe. While there is not much variety on the album- Address the nation delivers a sense of consistency- there are no weak links on this album.
“Living on the Run” is an uptempo song that has a classic rock sound- this is perhaps due to Gronwall’s strong vocals which at certain points bear resemblance to Jon Bon Jovi. “Downtown” has more of a serious tone than most of the other tracks on this album. It is one of those great songs that starts off fairly stripped back and throughout the course of 4 minutes it manages to build and build crescendo without ever losing steam.
“Falling Down” and “Better Off Alone” both deliver on the classic rock sound with fist pumping choruses and some kick-ass guitar solos. This album delivers on this solid sound throughout and while there may have been many critics and sceptics following the departure of H.E.A.Ts lead singer in 2009, Gronwall has shown that he can hold his own and his vocal ability is well matched by the melodic rock that the other band members provide.

Orna Lyons