The new EP from Caroline Weinroth's Cinema Hearts injects some much needed pop into the famed indie of the D.C. area. Smart and punchy, Your Ideal, out this Friday, is alt-rock in the stylistic mold of Juliana Hatfield or Letters to Cleo, but the cuts here stand on their own in a fresh way. The production by 4AD artist Bartees Strange is worth highlighting in that regard too.
Weinroth, a former beauty queen, adroitly navigates the personal and the political, at least in the sense of singing about emotions that speak to challenges of women in this century, and the facile nature of fame and attraction. "Your Ideal" is excellent, a sharp updating of sounds like on the best Veruca Salt sides, this one is a real gem. And it's catchy as hell too. Elsewhere, "Everyday is a Day Without You" is more straightforward, its melody affecting and soothing in spots, while closer "Sister" is more layered and nuanced.
At her best, Caroline Weinroth straddles the demands of the genre with her own unique lyrical goals. Your Ideal manages to be that kind of record that's decidedly personal, but in its specificity, it ends up being full of broad appeal. Thankfully, the hooks here are robust in spots. "Your Ideal" punches hard, but every cut here is engaging and smartly rendered and observed.
Your Ideal is out on Friday.