Pat Kearns writes sweetly sad pop tunes that are catchy enough that you can't help but wonder why the poor guy can't cheer himself up. As leader of Blue Skies for Black Hearts, Kearns clearly knows how to rock out when he's in the mood -- "She'll Follow Me" attests to that -- but that doesn't happen all that often on the group's third album, Serenades and Hand Grenades, which is devoted to the more polished and carefully crafted side of their musical personality. Kearns and his bandmates ...   [ read more ]

CD $15.18

Not that the band might appreciate the thought, depending, but arguably the cover of Love Is Not Enough is one of the more emo things around -- not only is it a heart (or a cartoon drawing of same) but it features both stitch marks and pins stuck in it. Hopefully they'll never be stuck clunkily namedropped in a Zach Braff movie. All this aside, Blue Skies for Black Hearts' 2006 effort is an amiable enough effort that may not change the world but still is a sweet little way to pass the time gent...   [ read more ]

CD $15.18