Heartless Bastards – Restless Ones (ALBUM REVIEW)

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Restless Ones, the fifth studio album by Ohio rockers Heartless Bastards, is perhaps the band’s loudest album. Though their lo-fi garage rock roots are still apparent, Restless Ones has a bit more heft. This is in part because of the addition of second guitarist Mark Nathan, who joined the band for 2012’s Arrow, and partly because of a slicker production by John Congleton designed to give the album a more powerful, arena-rock sound.

With its four-piece lineup, Heartless Bastards deliver layers of crashing guitars and thumping rhythms that are an adequate recreation of its dynamic live shows. The album starts with a snarl, the cacophony of distortion in “Wind Up Bird” leading to a series of loud/soft shifts, screaming slide guitar, and guitarist Erika Wennerstrom’s trademark drawl.

From the fuzzed-out shuffle of “Black Cloud” to the pop rock anthem “Gates of Dawn,” Heartless Bastards lay down thick twangy blues rock that still has traces of the grime that coated the garage rock sound of its past. Though the tone is consistent and the aggressive attitude unquestioned, Restless Ones is somewhat lacking in hooks. While the album doesn’t have any bad tracks, few stand out from the pack. “Hi-Line,” with its contrasting jangling acoustic and gritty electric guitars, is good but forgettable.

The abupt guitar riffs interrupting the staccato piano chords in “Into the Light” provide a standout track. “Eastern Wind,” with Dave Colvin’s pounding drums and well-placed palm muting, is another highlight. Bigger is not always better. Much of the album suffers from too many layers of sounds vying for attention at once. “Pocket Full of Thirst” is the album’s least crowded song, a slow stroll through the countryside that shows Heartless Bastards at their most melodic. “I disguised myself as someone else so you could not break me,” Wennerstrom sings over clean, ringing guitars.

From the time they were playing Cincinnatti’s bar scene long ago, Heartless Bastards developed a reputation for energetic performances and a formidable stage presence. Even without any clear showstoppers, Restless Ones captures the aura and attitude of those performances.