Toxic lovers. Phony friends. Unreliable narrators. The Talking Hearts’ vibrant Memory Lane is populated by a rogues’ gallery of shifty characters. On its second album, this engaging Boston sextet puts a breezy spin on human failings, telling tales of bad behavior with a flippant verve that makes poor judgment seem like big fun.
Blending country, pop, and bluegrass in a fizzy cocktail, the band is fronted by Rachel Rosenberg, who wrote or co-wrote most of the songs and plays fine fiddle. However, this is a true team effort, with Zach Meyer (mandolin, keyboards), Sophie Wellington (guitar), and Alex Formento (steel, Telecaster) all getting ample space to show their chops.
Lead vocals are shared by Rosenberg, who delivers pointed messages with soothing poise, and Meyer, who plays a hangdog rascal when it’s his turn to take the mic. And there’s plenty of spine-tingling, high-lonesome harmonies, adding a nice old-timey feel. It would be easy to mistake the Hearts’ bright, swinging vibes for the immortal jive of Dan Hicks & His Hot Licks.
