Music review: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers – ‘Hypnotic Eye鈥
Over the past 38 years, Tom Petty and his Heartbreakers have been producing memorable albums that are seamlessly woven into the fabric of American music culture.
Albums such as 鈥淒amn the Torpedoes,鈥 鈥淗ard Promises,鈥 鈥淪outhern Accents鈥 and 鈥淚nto the Great Wide Open鈥 have provided us classic tracks like 鈥淩efugee,鈥 鈥淭he Waiting,鈥 鈥淒on鈥檛 Come Around Here No More鈥 and 鈥淟earning to Fly.鈥
Four years after the release of the blues-heavy 鈥淢ojo,鈥 Petty returns to deliver vividly descriptive songs about disillusionment, determination, survival and redemption.
鈥淎merican Dream Plan B鈥 opens the album with pulsating guitar riffs and Petty鈥檚 feisty, raspy vocals as he growls, 鈥淢y success is anybody鈥檚 guess.鈥 Petty鈥檚 success may be determined, but the people he sings about struggle with maintaining a meager living and providing the best they can for their family. While 鈥淢ojo鈥 felt more like a midnight drive on a lonely highway, 鈥淗ypnotic Eye鈥 possesses more of an early morning, kick-in-the-pants vibe. Throughout the 11-song set, 鈥淗ypnotic Eye鈥 delivers sonic textures of pulsating, infectious rock built on solid songwriting and superb musicianship. Never one to rest on his laurels, Petty鈥檚 latest songwriting effort certainly places him on the level with the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan and Neil Young. Lead guitarist Mike Campbell and keyboardist Benmont Tench fuel the throwback feel of 鈥淩ed River,鈥 while 鈥淔ault Lines鈥 is a scorching confessional that flaunts a chaotic urgency.
鈥淔orgotten Man鈥 begins with the comfortable familiarity of 鈥淎merican Girl鈥 as Petty sounds as vibrant and alive as he did when recording the band鈥檚 1976 debut release.
While the characters of Petty鈥檚 new arrangements may be struggling to capture the American Dream, they certainly aren鈥檛 giving up or backing down. Themes of perseverance and hope are planted on tracks like 鈥淎ll You Can Carry,鈥 鈥淪ins of My Youth鈥 and 鈥淯 Get Me High.鈥
With 鈥淗ypnotic Eye,鈥 the 63-year-old rocker storms back with a raw, gritty set of new American classics.