HEARTLESS BASTARDS
All This Time
Fat Possum
· For this Cincinnati trio, there’s no such thing as a sophomore slump.
Don’t panic. Even though the piano that graces opening moments of All This Time by Heartless Bastards could easily be mistaken for a Coldplay B-side, the band hasn’t gone soft. On a label known for raunchy Mississippi blues, Heartless Bastards have established themselves as Fat Possum’s most rocky outfit. Though this album doesn’t have the frantic rush of their 2005 debut Stairs and Elevators, it has twice the intensity. It’s rare that a band can ease off the throttle and still keep pace, but the string arrangements and lower than usual beats per minute only add to the raw power of All This Time. The focus is still on Erika Wennerstrom’s incomparable howl, but the relentless drive and massive guitar chug keep the songs from sinking into dirgy depression. Living somewhere between torchy nightclub laments and an indie soul revue, Heartless Bastards could very well have just saved rock ’n’ roll.
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