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 trio's 2005 debut, Stairs and Elevators, highlighted their blues roots, and took 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.
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