Heartless Bastards

After signing with Partisan Records in 2011, Austin-via-Cincinnati act Heartless Bastards still have at least one foot in the swamp. Much of the Bastards’ 12-bar bona fides come courtesy of the smoky howl of frontwoman Erika Wennerstrom, whose bellow stands just as tall as those of other Delta-reared musicians. Wennerstrom certainly hasn’t shied away from diversifying, and the band’s latest records have incorporated slivers of pop, folk, and orchestral arrangements into their classicist sound. As proven by their stellar 2012 album, Arrow, Heartless Bastards don’t aim for pastiche; instead, Wennerstrom bends tradition to fit the shape of her heartsick, plainspoken confessionals.

Updated 05/30/2012