A gentle line-drawing marks the cover of the Hearless Bastards' sophomore album, All This Time, just a woman holding a dragonfly by its tail. Singer Erika Wennerstrom's yearning vocals and the rolling piano figures that op... more »en the album echo the cover. It's sensitive, full of feeling. Beware: It bursts open, with a wall of lean and loud guitar, bass, and drums ? and Wennerstrom's room-filling mid-range vocals, blasting full-throatedly as she sings "Things are coming into focus!" The Cincinnati trio's 2005 debut, Stairs and Elevators, highlighted their blues roots, and All This Time takes those blues and folds them into a brawny rock pastry. Wennerstrom's voice is huge, an instant ear magnet that no one misses, a PJ Harvey from the heartland playing bold, large-stroke guitar. At once, the Bastards are bottom-heavy and beautifully melodic, taking flight--or at least harnessing the power of that album-cover dragonfly. --Andrew Bartlett« less
A gentle line-drawing marks the cover of the Hearless Bastards' sophomore album, All This Time, just a woman holding a dragonfly by its tail. Singer Erika Wennerstrom's yearning vocals and the rolling piano figures that open the album echo the cover. It's sensitive, full of feeling. Beware: It bursts open, with a wall of lean and loud guitar, bass, and drums ? and Wennerstrom's room-filling mid-range vocals, blasting full-throatedly as she sings "Things are coming into focus!" The Cincinnati trio's 2005 debut, Stairs and Elevators, highlighted their blues roots, and All This Time takes those blues and folds them into a brawny rock pastry. Wennerstrom's voice is huge, an instant ear magnet that no one misses, a PJ Harvey from the heartland playing bold, large-stroke guitar. At once, the Bastards are bottom-heavy and beautifully melodic, taking flight--or at least harnessing the power of that album-cover dragonfly. --Andrew Bartlett
"Just got this album yesterday... I have to tell you it took me three listens to really understand why I liked it. On first listen, I thought it was a good album, but not anything spectacular. I listened a few more times, caught some of the subtle nuances, and man this is a killer album. It's not as straight-forward gut busting rock as the first album, but it is a far more cohesive album than Stairs and Elevators. "Dragonfly", "Finding Solutions", and "Blue Day" are standout tracks. Especially listen carefully to the lyrics on "Into the Open" as they reference several later songs on the album, adding a neat little twist."
Solid rock trio with a fantastic, tough, bassy female vocali
N. McKinnon | San Francisco, CA | 08/25/2006
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Erika Wennerstrom belongs firmly in the Tough and Sexy Pantheon of Female Vocalists - goddesses like Grace Slick, Chrissy Hinde and Liz Phair. Dust of that high-school bong, chill a couple of beers and enjoy the hell out this album (as well as their first album, Stairs and Elevators). If you're a someone who prefers male singers and dislikes whiney voices like I do, I think you'll discover a part of your music craving that's long been unsatisfied.
The tempos on All This Time are a little slower and more hypnotic than Stairs and Elevators i.e. don't expect any Communication Breakdown type drivers that wanna make you snap your pimply neck, but these tunes will build up in your gut make you proud to be a rock patriot."
More than solid sophomore album
Paul Allaer | Cincinnati | 09/03/2006
(4 out of 5 stars)
"One of the most ecxiting new bands to come out of Cincinnati in recent years is the Heartless [...] (urrgh, what a TERRIBLE band name), a power trio led by singer-songwriter-guitarist Erila Wennerstrom. 18 months after the release of their very promising debut album "Stairs and Elevators" now comes the second album.
"ALl This Time" (10 tracks, 40 min.) finds a more polished, but still very hard rocking, sound. The album's first track "Into the Open" starts off with a piano even. Wennerstrom continues to provide layers of guitar riffs, and the rest of the band contributes to the "wall of sound". Guitar solos are far and few between (only on the title track and on the closer "Comes a Long Way"). The album really takes flight on the second half, with highlight after highlight: "Blue Day" and "No Pointing Arrows" are the proof that this band has "it". In all, a very satisfying album that zooms by in no time, and you'll want to play it again.
I've seen the band live a couple of times in the last 10 days, giving shows around town in preparation for a long nation-wide tour to support "All This Time". Frankly, the band is even better live than in the studio, and they are not to be missed if you have chance to see them. Highly recommended!"
Just buy this right now
MPB | Portland, OR | 05/15/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"
I was honestly a bit put off by the cover art -- I imagined something like the Indigo Girls. In fact, this is bottom-heavy old-school rock and roll, with a slight country/blues twist, great powerhouse female lead vocals, great songwriting, great performances. It sounds really comfortable and familiar, but at the same time it's hard to think of an exact parallel -- if Lucinda Williams recorded a rock record, it might sound like this. Altogether a really captivating and satisfying rock album. This would have been a monstrous FM radio album back in the day. Into the Open, Brazen, Blue Day, and Valley of Debris are all awesome songs. Buy it.
"
Tough teen wisdom
Van Halen Kurtz | Twin Oaks | 04/19/2007
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Recorded in Cincinnati!
Main brain Erika Wennerstrom performs open-heart surgery with a corroded six-string, blasting melodic knots of exuberance and experience. The low-fi grunge sound gets old after a while, though; how 'bout some separation between the instruments and, heavens, tweak the treble on the vocals? Choice cut: "All The Time" - Pretenders riff, Fiona Apple chords. Throughout the (short) set, Wennerstrom sings her guts out but never puts out, or grandstands. "Come A Long Way," the moody closer deserves a Cranberries'-sized budget.