The Heartless Bastards are consistently pigeonholed – and rightly so – as one of the dying breed of “rock bands” that still plays what is considered straightforward rock. Although the definition of “rock” is slippery, there is no denying that this is a “rock” album. Gone are the swamp-pop and twangy sounds of previous Bastards releases; Arrow is filled to the brim, each song building a slow and heavy momentum that gives the entire album heft. However, Erika Wennestrom, the lead singer, still hangs on to her classic-rock influences; the riff-heavy album has guitar licks that wouldn’t be out of place in a Rolling Stones or Thin Lizzy album, the drum-tracks are a veneer of distortion away from sounding like a groggy John Bonham.
The album has newer influences as well. Hearing Wennestrom croon over her fuzzily minimal band is reminiscent of Wye Oak. I wouldn’t be surprised if Jim Eno, the producer of Arrow and Spoon’s drummer, shaped slivers of the album after My Morning Jacket’s bluesier work. The album includes a wide range of songs, but Wennestrom is always her best when she is belting out a tune rather than rolling underneath it. Her grave voice benefits from the clean production work done by Eno, who did a great job keeping each song focused. Lyrically, Wennestrom keeps her imagery simple, but once again it fits fine with the stripped down aesthetic pulled through the entire length of Arrow. The second track and first single, “Parted Ways,” lets Wennestrom flex her vocal range and blues sensibilities. At first, her singing sounds like Tennessee Bruce Springsteen, before she and the band really let loose. The rousing conclusion of the song is messy, vital, and powerful; every instrument smashing into the others, until the entropy eventually collapses and the song ends.
Excellent rock track! This is by far my favorite music blog because it's so eclectic