Album Review: F. Scott and the Nighthawks, Hold Onto Your Heart

Party bar band rock is here in spades with the new album by Toronto group F. Scott & The Nighthawks. Whether it's the backing female vocals that give it a bluesy hint or the horns, the group seems to throw everything in during the aptly titled "Everything In." And it's that breezy, hook-fused approach that hits the mark more than it misses.

The true keepers here are the ballads, especially the gorgeous "Honey Bee" that would make Black Crowes' Chris and Rich Robinson jealous again. Unfortunately it doesn't quite work on "Stevie Girl" that sounds just a little forced. But as far as being boxed into a genre they're anything but with "Pegged," a rowdy, rockabilly romp.

Even the anthemic "Hold On To Your Heart" and "Moondogs & Nighthawks" has plenty of roots rock in the vein of Tom Cochrane or Mellencamp. Yet the group have plenty of chops when they put their own stamp on the foot-stomping "Outlaws."

Although a few tunes might have been left off, generally Hold On To Your Heart works. And anything with Eagles of Death Metal's Jesse Hughes' stamp of approval with his cameo on "Rattlesnake No BS Boogie" can't be too bad.

Hold On To Your Heart was released August 13, 2021.
Listen to it here.