Heartless Bastards – The Mountain

Even if they weren't only a trio it would be no less obvious: the Heartless Bastards revolve around the persona and mighty voice of Erika Wennerstrom. It's her band, and their hard rockin' grungy take on country blues is draped around her vocal punch. She's taking no prisoners alright. A Dayton, Ohio school drop out and serial dead end job specialist, Wennerstrom was inspired by hometown favourites The Breeders (Kim Deal, Tanya Donelly) to continue her own hesitant song writing and strike out on tour. The Heartless Bastards got noticed by Patrick Carney from the Black Keys and were signed by their label for a first release in 2005. Further praise, festival adulation, and support slots with the likes of Wilco followed their second album, but Wennerstrom deliberately sought a catalyst for change by relocating to Austin. That may or may not have been linked to the split from boyfriend and now ex-bassist Mike Lamping. This is the result.Roaring dryly like Janis Joplin over growling hook-heavy garage rhythm guitar and clenched fist demolition style drumming, the Heartless Bastards bring raw Led Zeppelin to the back porch for the first half of this album. Exemplified by the crash, bang, wallop of 'Early In The Morning' and 'Out At Sea', it's breathless, abrasive, visceral, borderline head-banging stuff that shares the back to basics ethic of the Black Keys and White Stripes.With higher production values than their first two releases (meaning noticeably different, not necessarily better/worse), there is a tempering of the full on hurricane that they contained. There are hints of subtlety early on, with 'Be So Happy' a note to self(-loathing) post breakup song, but it's in the virtual flip side that the mood swings more consistently to a sparser rootsy blues. That head-banging can only last so long after all, and they do shoot their bolt with the five and a half minutes of 'Nothing Seems The Same' at the half way mark. That's about two minutes after the point when interest flags. Faint mandolin underlies the still thunderous Grace-Slick-with-a-twang contralto delivery of the stripped down psychedelia that is 'Wide Awake', but the title of 'So Quiet' announces a cessation to the raging with a complete switch to acoustic guitar and fiddle. Banjo is added for the mammoth seven and a half minutes of 'Had To Go'. The change of style and mournful fiddle playing sustains the narrative that would seem to document the upheaval to Texas.The Mountain concludes with a couple more bruising encounters - a reminder not to mess with this determined woman as she opens a window into her soul and releases a passionate tornado. It's refreshingly ballsy and straight down the line, and distinct enough from its peers to counteract an arguable lack of diversity within. That feature may work against multiple repeats, but the guttural rush will make it frequent intermittent listening. Need to give the ear drums a break after all. 77%mp3:> Heartless Bastards: ‘The Mountain’Heartless Bastards on MySpace