The Hearts, a veteran Edmonton sextet, released their first new music since before COVID in late 2024 with Traces, a six-song EP that sounds heaven-sent for those yearning for the heady days of Southern California’s Laurel Canyon sound in the late ’60s and early '70s. It’s country-folk with a rock edge, infused with what the band describes as a melancholic swagger.

Over 15 years, The Hearts have dabbled in synth, pop and rock, but Traces, their fifth release, has stripped all the excess away, emphasizing their gorgeous harmonies and primary songwriter Jeff Stuart’s immediately infectious melodies. This is music made for driving down the highway on a warm summer night at dusk, the window rolled down, the wind blowing through your hair and your thumb tapping on the steering wheel.

A highlight is “Almost Ready” which to a Gen Xer, feels like a forgotten slacker anthem with part of the catchy chorus reading, “I’ve been almost ready all my life. Feeling halfway happy half the time.” “Long Goodbye” is a beautiful and mournful piano ballad, “I don’t recognize myself sometimes, on this lonely ride.”

After a long hiatus, the band was eager to get in the studio and record new music and bring it to their fans, recently saying, “We love to get in front of people. Connecting with audiences is what it’s all about.” Lucky us.

–Sean Myers