Heartless Bastards, “Restless Ones”

There is something quite comforting about the new Heartless Bastards album “Restless Ones.”
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Heartless Bastards, “Restless Ones”

There is something quite comforting about the new Heartless Bastards album “Restless Ones.”

Words: Alejandra Gomez

June 18, 2015

September 18, 2004: An early morning flight under a thin overcast layer revealed this quilt-like vista southwest of Grand Rapids, Michigan. Fall is an amazing time in farm country. For most of the year, fields tend to be the same color when viewed from above: white in winter, brown in spring, green during the summer. But the fall harvest brings out an amazing variety of color across the landscape. I suspect that the overhead cloud layer and low angle of the morning sun may have contributed a quality of light that accentuated the color differences more than usual.

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Heartless Bastards
Restless Ones
PARTISAN
7/10

There is something quite comforting about the new Heartless Bastards album Restless Ones. It could be frontwoman Erika Wennerstrom’s ability to evoke a sense of calm familiarity with her dulcet vocals, or it might be the no-frills, bluesy rock and roll that the Cincinnati band has championed for the last decade. On Restless Ones, Heartless Bastards continue to distill their folk, country, and rock influences down to a highly effective, stripped-down and earthy sound. Opening track “Wind Up Bird” finds the group at its most energetic with distorted guitar shredding and rapid-fire drum fills. By the time the Bastards reach the gentle sway of pop-rocky “Pocket Full of Thirst,” there’s need for a sonic change of pace, which arrives— a little late, but thoughtfully—with the psychedelic rumbles and gentle, murmured vocals of “Tristessa.” While Heartless Bastards have a masterful command on their genre and sound, it’s those experimental—and touching—moments of Restless Ones’ closing track that leave listeners craving more.

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