CD Review

Erika Winnerstrom’s physical stature is deceiving, overwhelmed by the vocal power that erupts from her petit frame without warning. As the singer, guitarist and songwriter for Ohio’s Heartless Bastard’s, she is the catalyst to the garage-trio’s fury, exploding with emotive, multi-syllabic rails that relentlessly crest above rambunctious riffs and stoic, uncomplicated rhythms.

Stairs and Elevators, the band’s debut on Fat Possum Records, is a raw, resilient affair that punches like a prize-fighter in his prime. The sonic sludge that pours forth is only a backdrop to Winnerstrom’s calculated style; from low-end howls to sailing crescendos, she channels emotion into a steep and rocky valley of white-girl soul. From the heartache of “Gray” to the anthemic “New Resolution,” bassist Mike Lamping and drummer Kevin Vaughn provide rumbling and varied rhythms, which, despite their simple structures, provide essential elements in this instrumental triptych.

Heartless Bastards are not your typical band. Winnerstrom’s no frills approach to both guitar and songwriting, coupled with her atypical vocal phrasing – a lyrical catapult of effervescent attitude – add distinction to the chugging, stripped down onslaught. Stairs and Elevator’s tales of heartache sound so real they bleed from wounds caused by jagged guitar and an irresistible siren’s song. Fortified by this forthright and impressive debut, Heartless Bastards yield stormy waters that, once navigated, offer a refreshingly cathartic rock and roll diversion.

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