Heartless Bastards – Restless Ones

'Restless Ones' shows Erika Wennerstrom still stretching....
Heartless Bastards : Restless Ones
7.6 Partisan
2015 

Heartless Bastards : Restless Ones

While Erika Wennerstrom began in garage-blues like the artist that discovered her, fellow Ohio natives The Black Keys (QRO live review), she & her Heartless Bastards pushed well into alt-country twang with 2012’s Arrow (QRO review). Wennerstrom & Heartless Bastards return with Restless Ones, which stretches out that twang.

From opener “Wind Up Bird” through closer “Tristessa”, Restless Ones has a lot of slide-guitar twang, but slowed down to let it sustain. Wennerstrom does vary the outlook, from the brighter “Black Cloud” to the sad “Pocket Full of Thirst”, her resignation wry on “The Fool” but more downbeat on “Eastern Wind”.

Admittedly very much still in the direction of Arrow, Restless Ones still shows Wennerstrom stretching.

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