The Los Angeles based trio finds their stride in their 4th studio album, proving that they still have plenty in the tank.

These past 10 years since the band was founded via a Craigslist ad have come in a blink for front-woman Michelle Joy, guitarist Ryan Chapman, and keyboard & bassist Paul Davis. Since their inception, Cannons has now released four studio albums, three EPs, and a dozen or so singles. Their latest venture, Heartbeat Highway is a mystical and magical follow-up to 2022’s Fever Dream that doesn’t completely stray away from the band’s alternative synth/dream pop roots, but also comes with the added maturity and the experiences a decade in music brings.

While Fever Dream was born out of the confines of the COVID-19 pandemic, Heartbeat Highway was instead, fitting for it’s namesake, born on the road during the band’s tours across Japan, the U.K., and the US. “[T]he really cool thing about Heartbeat Highway is that all of these songs were written while we were experiencing life on the road and we were able to go out and actually work with some different songwriters and producers and get into studios and test the waters in a lot of different areas that were we weren’t used,” Joy said in a recent interview with Euphoria Magazine. These new experiences really shine through in the record, bringing an air of adventure and wonder with every note.

Heartbeat Highway has a way of capturing nostalgia while also making you feel like you’re listening to something like you’ve never heard before. It’s no wonder why Cannons is now starting to get the recognition they’ve long deserved, scoring a near top 10 track on the Alternative Chart with lead single Loving You. That’s just the tip of the iceberg, though, as the rest of the 12 tracks takes the listener down a winding road of the ups and the downs of the heart. The record feels optimistic, even when the subject matter speaks to heartbreak and longing. The trio has found a way to tap into the raw emotions of the joy of wonder and adventure, and falling in and out of love.

2023 was a year of growth for Cannons. They became a live-show pillar (playing Coachella for the first time, making a TV debut on Jimmy Fallon, and headlining sold-out shows across the US and Canada) while debuting new tracks with listeners across the world. The band now gets a moment to breathe before heading to Europe next year for more touring. Hopefully, they’ll take time to bask in all the success they’ve had over the year, and continue producing music as good as Heartbeat Highway is. No longer quite the hidden indie gem they once were, this band is here to stay.

Rating: 9/10

-Devyn Tammons