Beat That

iTunes Review

Even though the Who’s 1979 film Quadrophenia tried to warn kids about the dangers and problems involved with incestuous subcultures like the ‘60s mod movement, nobody took heed. Instead, the film sparked the second wave of mod. Named after a lavender, heart-shaped amphetamine, the Purple Hearts titled the first song on their first album after Quadrophenia’s protagonist. “Jimmy” is an infectious power-pop number with an opening riff similar to the Who’s “I Can’t Explain” where singer Bob Manton croons a one-way conversation with the character while cleverly taking liberties in the lyrics to pen some prequel placed story about Jimmy’s background. With the title track, bass player Jeff Shadbolt endearingly mimics the root-note pedaling of the Jam’s Bruce Foxton while Simon Stebbing’s Rickenbacker jangles like that of a young Pete Townshend. Their cover of “Can’t Help Thinking About Me” by David Jones (who went on to become David Bowie) gets injected with some Buzzcocks inspired angst, while the band’s own “Extraordinary Sensations” picks up on the pop-art freakbeat of bands such as the Creation, the Action and the Smoke.