Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers – Hypnotic Eye

Formed almost 40 years ago and with 13 studio albums together, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers have a long and consistent history of making great music. Hypnotic Eye is a wonderful mix of blues and rock with some jazz riffs thrown in for good measure; no matter what your usual type of music may be, you’ll find yourself enjoying this record. Whether you end up just tapping along to the beat or downloading the entire back catalogue, it has something for everyone, regardless of age or background.

The album doesn’t vary from the band’s classic rocky sound, but has a certain quality to it that makes you think of dancing in an old atmospheric jazz and blues club. The lead single American Dream Plan B opens up the album with a strong beat and Petty’s overlaying gravelly vocals, with the record continuing on in a similar manner; these staple features tie the tracks together well, with each song holding strong individually also. Full Grown Boy is a rhythmically seductive delight, and the mid-section of Burnt Out Town where the piano kicks in is a particular high point. There are moments that wouldn’t be out of place on a Blues Brothers album, segueing flawlessly with moodier rock ‘n’ roll that sounds like it’s a sibling to the more modern Arctic Monkeys – it’s a real melting pot of sounds, but it works fantastically, never sounding forced or awkward.

Hypnotic Eye summed up in one word would be timeless – hearing it now in 2014, you can’t be sure as to the original recording date of the album. This will have a lot to do with the band’s beginnings in the 70s and their shared musical experiences, but credit must also go to the continuing talents of frontman Tom Petty, who composed and wrote lyrics for the majority of the album. Records that sound similar to previous releases tend to either be fantastic or boring, and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers have definitely landed Hypnotic Eye on the fantastic end of the scale – why change a tried and tested formula if you already know it works?

Amy McLelland

Hypnotic Eye was released on 29^th July 2014, for further information or to order the album visit here.