Revolution of the Heart

by Stephen Thomas ErlewineRevolution of the Heart, Howard Jones' seventh album of new material, begins with a pulsating electro-drum beat, synthesized piano, and a cool rush of keyboards that sounds straight out of the early days of the '90s. More to the point, it sounds like a forgotten Beloved track, fronted by an aging hippie singing about peace and love. Instead of straying from that template anywhere on Revolution of the Heart, Jones follows it for the entire ten-track album, piling on the synth arpeggios, drum loops, and lush waves of cold synths, occasionally punctuating the whole affair with a hit of a synth-orchestra or a hint of guitar. All of the songs urge some sort of social change or, well, a revolution of the heart, which is all quite earnest and sweet, but when married to the soothing, monotonous pulse of electronic instruments, it's a bit numbing and undistinguished. It's not a terrible album -- it's pleasant and makes for good background music -- but it's hardly a memorable one, no matter how sincere Jones' intentions are.