Heartless Bastards - Stairs and Elevators

Heartless Bastards
"Stairs and Elevators"
©2005 Fat Possum Records

(out of 5)
*Read the live show review here.*

Like more than a few people who listened online and bought the CD after hearing Heartless Bastards live, I felt a little disheartened with "Stairs and Elevators" at first hearing. When I finally ripped open the CD after the last show's encore I expected a polished (and less sincere) CD than hearing the band in person. But in this case, the live performance was more polished. With an amazing live sound like theirs, I understand it may be difficult for the best recording engineer in the world to capture the same magic of a live performance. However, this less than stellar production surprised me after listening to two great Fat Possum releases - rock 'n' soul king Solomon Burke's "Don't Give Up On Me" and R.L. Burnside's "A Bothered Mind". Erika Wennerstrom's honey & vinegar vocals are just as powerful as these living legends, but you may not be able to make this bold comparison by just listening to the album. Her equally profound guitar, Mike Lamping's soulful bass, and Kevin Vaughn's intense percussion also sound confined, and at times muzzled. What good is lightning in a bottle if it isn't released? But forgive the techincal limitations and listen to the heartfelt sound of the invitational "Gray". You will be hooked. There are several other standout tracks that make this CD a dream to listen to: "New Resolution", a song that reads like a journal meditation/poem; the sleepy rocker "My Maker"; "Runnin'" - a scorching track that should get serious radio play; the enigmatic slow groove of "The Will Song"; and the subdued discontent of "The Piano Song". In between are unforgettable emotional highs and lows present in great lyrics, wonderful tempo changes, and daring punk crescendos that accentuate the many shades of the blues they play so well. If you're not lucky enough to hear Heartless Bastards create an amazing alchemy of punk & blues live this year, I highly recommend "Stairs and Elevators". It's an uplifting CD (pun intended) despite it's technical flaws. I dare to hope for the release of a live CD by the winter holidays. What wonderful gifts they would be.

~ diy-danna

An abridged version of this review was originally posted July 1, 2005 @ cdnow/amazon.com.