Posted on: April 3, 2019 Posted by: John B. Moore Comments: 0

Aree and the Pure Heart may call Atlanta home, but their influences reside several states up north, somewhere along on the Jersey Turnpike to be specific.

Layered throughout the band’s stellar record Never Gonna Die, you here snatches of Gaslight Anthem, the Bouncing Souls and, of course, the OG, Springsteen. That’s not to say the band is simply aping someone else’s sound, they’ve just taken to heart the working class poetry and punk rock swagger of some of the Garden State’s favorite sons.

At nine tracks, there are one or two moments where the band coasts on lighter fare (“Tiger Champagne” is probably the least compelling track here), but they more than make up for it on more rowdy, driving fare like the aptly-titled “Gasoline Heart” or the fantastic, title track that closes the record, complete with horns!

Somewhere on a horse farm in Central New Jersey, Springsteen is nodding along with approval.  

Aree and the Pure Heart – Never Gonna Die/9 tracks/Wiretap & Homebound records / 2019 / Bandcamp

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