All This Time
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, andAll This Timetakes 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