Teenage Hearts are a band from Nantes, France. They released their first demo in 2018 and since then have put out one EP (2019) and two full-length albums from 2021 and 2023. This new EP is being released in 2025 through a collaboration between three labels – Primator Crew, Tough Ain’t Enough Records, and Joe Pogo Records. The record contains four songs and immediately catches the eye with a well-designed cover that follows the same graphic style as their first EP and sticks to a similar visual aesthetic. It’s also worth mentioning that the release includes lyrics for all the songs, which is especially useful since the first three are sung in English and the last one in French.
Musically, Teenage Hearts operate somewhere on the border between punk 77, streetpunk and power pop. The opening track Quality Time will especially please fans of the early punk era of 1977–78, the period when singles like Orgasm Addict by The Buzzcocks were coming out. The vocal style in this song reflects that influence as well, carrying a slightly cheeky and youthful attitude. The track is lightly mixed with power pop elements, but at its core it’s mainly an energetic punk number that feels perfectly suited for a small club setting where its raw drive can really shine.
The second track Always Broke raises the intensity a bit. Instead of the bratty and playful tone of the opener, both the vocals and the music move toward a more frustrated and angry edge. The band steps slightly away from the power pop playfulness and leans more toward street punk, making this track sound more direct and harder-hitting than the first one.
The mix of ’77 punk and street punk continues with Gotta Get Rid Of You, which naturally follows the direction set by the previous track. This is probably the most aggressive and straightforward song on the EP. The band pushes things a little harder here, and the track clearly has strong live potential.
The final song is the French-sung T’es Sans Espoir. Besides the language, it also stands out because the lead vocal here is performed by a female voice. In this track you can definitely hear the influence of the French punk tradition, which has its own distinctive character. The vocal performance is excellent and adds a fresh dynamic to the EP, giving the record a nice variation toward the end.
Teenage Hearts are a band that doesn’t just reference ’77 punk – they actually play it. At the same time, they manage to subtly blend in the playfulness of power pop in some moments and the straightforward punch of street punk in others. This isn’t a band trying to spark a revolution or rally crowds to storm parliament. But they certainly have enough punk energy to get a club crowd moving and create the kind of atmosphere where the band and audience feed off each other. All in all, this EP is another solid entry in the band’s discography.
TOP TRACKY: Quality Time, T’es Sans Espoir
