latka - my bright heart

Latka

My Bright Heart
self-released; 2013

4.1 out of 5 

By Matt Jensen

Once in awhile you listen to an album that bursts with so much exuberant energy that it feels like the equivalent of drinking three Red Bulls straight. I felt this way when I listened to Gossamer by Passion Pit or to Slow Wonder by A.C. Newman and most recently to My Bright Heart by Latka. Latka is power pop band from Winnipeg, Manitoba consisting of Milos Mitrovic (lead vocals, bass), Cole Vincent (guitar), Andrew Clark (drums) and Eric Ross (violin) who have set out to bring you pop music that you can really move to. Without a doubt they have accomplished this.  In fact this album may want to come with a warning not to play it in the office, as it may look bad if your boss sees you spontaneously dancing during work hours. 

The album sound polished, professional and works perfectly with the type of sound they are going for. Kudos to their guitarist Vincent who produced and recorded the album. In addition to sounding great each song is a tightly refined dose of pop that has unexpected but ultimately rewarding violin in it. This aspect further defines their sound and creates a nice layer that isn't usually implemented into power pop.

The album doesn't waste any time by bursting on the scene with “The Arrival.” It’s hard not to be put into a good mood after hearing about 30 seconds of this song. The vocal melody is ridiculously catchy throughout as the verse gives way to an even better chorus. Needless to say I was pretty excited after this hoping this song wasn't a fluke. Luckily it wasn't. “Fake and Marvelous Exteriors (F.A.M.E)” may I dare say has more energy than the first song and also makes better use of the violin. One of the other highlights on the album is “Young & Entitled (Summer Breeze) ,” which is not only one of the catchiest songs but instrumentally is one of the most impressive. Everyone is on top of their game not only proving that are incredibly technically proficient but also are extremely creative with how they utilize their sound.

The eight songs on My Bright Heart go by fast like an adrenaline rush. From top to bottom I thoroughly enjoyed myself. For fans of The New Pornographers, Passion Pit and Fountains of Wayne this is a no brainer.

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