[rating=8.00]
As one might expect of a collective of sorts, Band of Heathens worked their way into the spotlight fairly quickly. It wasn’t that they had any grand designs, or even any thoughts about becoming a band in the first place. What initially began as a series of Wednesday night jam sessions at a club in their native Austin — an event they dubbed “The Good Time Supper Club” — eventually coalesced into an ensemble made up of several established musicians, one that subsequently gained notice and scaled the heights of the Americana charts. All the elements were there from the very beginning, thanks in large part to their pair of seasoned singer/songwriters, Ed Jurdi and Gordy Quist, both of whom were capable of penning material well suited to the group’s combined talents.
Bearing that in mind, it’s not surprising that Duende, their fifth studio album to date, sounds so assured. Accessible to a fault, it flows with a natural ease that offers the impression these songs have been around forever. “Green Grass Of California” in particular boasts immediate appeal, sounding like one of those mellower melodies that might have wafted down from Laurel Canyon in the latter part of the ‘70s.
That said, most of the music seems to originate from darker realms, like the bluesy “Sugar Queen.” the tangled “Last Minute,” and the swampy “Daddy Longlegs.” Taken in tandem, they add an air of intrigue. Likewise, when the band puts a pedal to the metal and rocks with unabashed intensity, as they do on the rugged “Trouble Came Early,” it puts things firmly in focus. If Band of Heathens succeeds due to the sum of their parts, Duende suggests that they are united in purpose as well.
