Heart, Mind and Soul

Heart, Mind and Soul is the seventh album, on which Hardline played hook-filled songs with a cohesive band performance. Released on Frontiers in 2021. It was made by a tight-knit lineup: Johnny Gioeli (vocals), Mario Percudani (guitar), Anna Portalupi (bass), Marco Di Salvia (drums), and Alessandro Del Vecchio on keyboards and production. It opens with the explosive “Fuel to the Fire,” and on “Surrender” and “If I Could I Would,” positive messages ride the vocals. From the acoustic color of “Like That” and the double-kick drive of “Waiting for Your Fall” to the closer “We Belong,” riffs and hooks keep coming. Gioeli himself likened “If I Could I Would” to the debut’s “Everything,” and songs conscious of the old feel line up too. Gioeli’s singing keeps its unchanged tautness and conviction, and Del Vecchio’s arrangements tie the whole together. The band’s unity shows in its best form — a consistently strong record with both maturity and momentum.