There are times when music fans become bored due their daily life problems. For those moments, forget the musical minimalism from many bands, the melancholy from others and just let yourselves be entangled by bands that have high spirited music that ones whose energy can make a smile crack on your face in each hardship you can think of. And let's speak the truth: the German quartet KÄRBHOLZ is a fine choice for such work, because "Herz & Verstand" is a very good dose of fun and happiness.

Maybe "fun" could be the band's first name, because into the melodic Indie/Punk Rock trend, these four guys are masters of creating songs that are easy to be understood (and difficult to resist), with hooking melodies and choruses that everyone will sing along with them (even not knowing to speak German). And their music is uncompromised with anything that isn't to bring tons of fun and great times. To hear "Herz & Verstand" becomes an addiction, for it's like drinking your favorite beer without having to worry about the terrible effects on the day after.

"Herz & Verstand" has a great sound quality. It's not because they are a band with Punk Rock elements that they will sound raw and nasty, because the roughness of their work is based on the songs, not on the production. It sounds free of ambitions and compromises, but sounds clear with the right crude instrumental tunes (from where comes the weight of their songs).

From the beginning to its end, "Herz & Verstand" is great and truly fun, but the nasty melodies of "Musizin" (great and simple bass guitar and drums work), the pure dose of musical joy thrown by "Keiner befiehlt" (this chorus is amazingly catchy), the acoustic joke of "All meine Narben", the high adrenaline level of "Herztier" (very good nasty vocals, and a touch of MOTORHEAD can be detected in some moments), the charming accessible melodies of "Stein & Sand" (even a good guitar solo is presented here), the pure Metal song on "Mein persönlicher Krieg", and "Gewitter" are the best ones. There are too many ballads like songs, what makes the album accessible and can make many ones who like their aggressive musical side complain, but it's still amazing in the way it is.

If you're that kind of guy that calls yourself "true", stay away. On "Herz & Verstand", fun reigns supreme, a gift from KÄRBHOLZ for everyone.