Garage Sale Vinyl: Candy Hearts
All The Ways You Let Me Down / Bridge Nine Records / 2014
by Christopher Long
There I was, sweatin’ bullets — at Christmastime! Ugh, ya just gotta love the crisp Florida holiday season. It was 2022, and the GF and I were attending a steamy outdoor event in Fort Pierce called The Punk Rock Flea Market. Among the menagerie of vendors was an unassuming little booth hocking all sorts of vintage pop-culture memorabilia, including a small selection of used vinyl. My expectations were low, but I thought I’d thumb through the two meager-looking crates, just in case. And sure enough, the last record in the last crate was THE record I’d been pursuing for seven years! It was in pristine condition, PLUS it was on Coke-bottle-clear / sky blue-splatter vinyl. AND, I scored it for maybe $15, which was heavy cabbage compared to what I’m usually willing to pony-up at a “flea market,” but gimme a break, man — Coke-bottle-clear / sky blue-splatter vinyl!
Produced by New Found Glory guitarist Chad Gilbert, All the Ways You Let Me Down met with high praise from such prestigious publications as Billboard and Spin when it dropped during the summer of 2014. Regrettably, Candy Hearts didn’t pop up on my personal radar until I discovered the Jersey-based combo performing among 90+ other sweat-soaked acts on the 2015 Vans Warped Tour. I was so thwacked by Candy Hearts’ songs and performance, I made my way to the band’s merch tent posthaste following their set to purchase the year-old, All the Ways You Let Me Down, on CD. Don’t judge me. In 2015, I hadn’t yet become aware that vinyl actually was once again a viable option.
Singer, songwriter, guitarist, and now former Candy Hearts matriarch Mariel Loveland clearly possessed an unbridled passion for coffee and considerable disdain for “stupid boys.” She also writes clever, catchy, and concise pop / rock songs. And I had only one thing to say to Loveland as we snapped a personal pic or two at the merch tent in 2015 — “You write great songs!”
Also featuring bassist John Clifford and drummer Matthew Ferraro, the record reflected the best and brightest aspects of the ’90s pop / rock era. But while you certainly couldn’t help spotting the smeared stylistic DNA of such golden oldies acts as Veruca Salt, The Cranberries, and Lisa Loeb, All the Ways You Let Me Down was no nostalgia trip. The music was fresh, and the lyrics were fun — and uniquely personal. Enhanced further by Gilbert’s production and songwriting, the record was as “now” as the newest iPhone.
For an admitted die-hard Josie and the Pussycats fan, All the Ways You Let Me Down oozed non-stop payoff. In fact, the intoxicating lead-off video single, “I Miss You,” was touted in the press as being one of the year’s best songs. Engaging and energetic, the collection was so cohesive that acknowledging a particular track or specific highlight would be, for me, about as easy as choosing a favorite episode of Full House. No joke. However, if duct-taped to a chair by Michael Madsen, doused with gasoline, and forced to offer a recommendation, I’d likely lean toward the sunny “The Dream’s Not Dead” or maybe the happy “Coffee With My Friends.” But then again, “Michigan” was SO gosh darn snappy!
Fortunately, I don’t have to pick a particular fave, as I now own All the Ways You Let Me Down on CD and on Coke-bottle-clear / sky blue-splatter vinyl! And I can consume the entire thing, over and over, while snorting lines of colorful Pixy Stix powder — in perpetuity.
5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
All the Ways You Let Me Down Track List
SIDE A
01. I Miss You (M. Loveland, C. Gilbert) – 3:04
02. The Dream’s Not Dead (M. Loveland, C. Gilbert) – 3:04
03. The One To Get Me Out (M. Loveland) – 2:47
04. All The Ways You Let Me Down (M. Loveland, C. Gilbert) – 3:09
05. Michigan (M. Loveland) – 3:29
06. Coffee With My Friends (M. Loveland, C. Gilbert) – 2:54
SIDE B
01. Fool’s Gold (M. Loveland) – 2:56
02. Something’s Missing (M. Loveland) – 3:51
03. Brooklyn Bridge (M. Loveland) – 2:50
04. Playing With Fire (M. Loveland, C. Gilbert) – 3:46
05. Top Of Our Lungs (M. Loveland) – 3:27
