Heartless Bastards - Restless Ones '2015

Tracks list

Released in 2015, Restless Ones marks the first time the Heartless Bastards have
had the same lineup for two albums in a row since All This Time in 2006, and the
bandmembers certainly sound more comfortable and at ease with themselves than
they have in a while. Lead singer, songwriter, and guitarist Erika Wennerstrom
still sings like a powerhouse as she muses about making sense of lifes rare
peaks and many valleys, but this time she sounds more in sync with her bandmates
— Mark Nathan on guitar, Jesse Ebaugh on bass, and David Colvin on drums
— and this music has a raw immediacy the Bastards havent matched since
their first two albums. The sharp, jittery slide work on Wind Up Bird suggests
the damaged blues fury of the Gun Club, Black Cloud has the decisive snap of
vintage R&B, and Into the Light is that rarity, a widescreen power ballad that
actually has the heart, soul, and riffs to not sound embarrassing in the 21st
century. And while the band sounds tight and on point throughout, Restless Ones
captures the interplay of four musicians who simply set up in the studio and let
it rip; the guitars growl with conviction, the report of the bass is deep and
satisfying, and the drumming is solid while leaving just enough room to color
the arrangements. (In fact, the band sounds good enough that producer John
Congleton often favors them over Wennerstrom in the mix, one of the albums few
sonic flaws.) While the extended, effects-laden closer Tristessa suggests
psychedelia isnt the Bastards strong suit, the rest of Restless Ones strikes a
graceful balance between the ragged but strikingly honest sound of the Heartless
Bastards early work and the most polished attack of The Mountain and Arrow;
these songs capture an outstanding band hitting its stride, and growing more
comfortable with the craft of record-making along with singing and playing
great, passionate music. [Restless Ones was also released on LP.] ~ Mark Deming

Tracklist:
 01. Heartless Bastards - Wind Up Bird (04:21)
 02. Heartless Bastards - Gates of Dawn (03:20)
 03. Heartless Bastards - Black Cloud (03:24)
 04. Heartless Bastards - Hi-Line (04:47)
 05. Heartless Bastards - Journey (03:43)
 06. Heartless Bastards - Pocket Full of Thirst (04:21)
 07. Heartless Bastards - Into the Light (03:37)
 08. Heartless Bastards - The Fool (04:07)
 09. Heartless Bastards - Eastern Wind (03:50)
 10. Heartless Bastards - Tristessa (05:09)

Related artists