An album that you quickly make friends with and one that sticks to the turntable like glue. It's an accomplished record of Americana rock n' roll from The Heartless Bastards who have spent the past decade dishing out great albums and gigs but, 'Restless Ones' is the record that should really push this band to the next level.
Four albums so far, the fifth opens with 'Wind Up Bird', a bluesy gravelled rocker that sets the tone. This is a bar, sawdust on the floor gem as the next song 'Gates of Dawn' testifies. Erika Wennerstrom's vocals are as solid as ever and although this album seems to have more production to it than usual, overall the album portrays exactly the opposite feel, there is a real fire burning here, which must also be down to the work of producer John Congleton.
“John came down to Austin and sat in with us for a couple of days,” says Nathan. “That was really great – it was important to get an outside ear and it helped make the process more concise. I’ve never seen anybody get sounds as good and as quickly as he does.”
Now based in Austin, the band’s current incarnation was formed six years ago as, Erika Wennerstrom, vocals, guitarist Mark Nathan, bassist Jesse Ebaugh, and drummer Dave Colvin “We took a lot of chances,” Erika says, “taking the sounds in different directions in order to grow. I don't ever want to make the same album twice".
Songs like 'Hi-Line' and 'Journey' are songs you would have in car with the roof down quite happily. 'Pocket Full of Thirst' is the sweet dustbowl ballad. 'The Fool' is a soulful journey leading into the storming psych rocker 'Eastern Winds'. The album closes with the longest track, 'Tristessa' which is an ambient, reverb, feedback driven five minutes plus.
The record was recorded at Sonic Ranch in El Paso with the band being as one, living together, dining together, and always conversing about the project in hand. “There was no break from the process,” says Nathan. “In some ways, it made the good things better and the bad things worse, but looking back, it was a different experience and I’m glad we did it.”
An organic whith plently of variation. A record rich in passion and inspiration. The band plays UK dates in September.
Pete
10/11
'Restless Ones' is out now on Partisan Records
1. Wind Up Bird
2. Gates of Dawn
3. Black Cloud
4. Hi-line
5. Journey
6. Pocket Full of Thirst
7. Into the Light
8. The Fool
9. Eastern Wind
10. Tristessa
Dates
01 Sep Borderline London
02 Sep The Lantern Bristol
06 Sep The Ritz Manchester