Everything and the messy kitchen sink
How awkward must it be when a band reunites after one of the members left to do a solo project? Do the other members feel they’d been rejected or that they’re inadequate? Or are they simply grateful to have the group back together? Is there excitement over the possibility of a new direction or fear of becoming nothing more than a glorified backing band, totally unrecognizable from its original form?
With these concerns in mind, it’s unsurprising that Erika Wennerstrom, frontwoman of Heartless Bastards, decided not to release A Beautiful Life as a solo record after wrestling with the idea. It’s a radical departure from their usual country and blues-rock stylings replete with hooks and unbridled rock ‘n roll swagger. There was never any chance of making another Stairs and Elevators, but Wennerstrom still worked to match its energy and snarl with this record. Sadly, she didn’t manage and instead repeated several of the issues with her solo record Sweet Unknown with fewer of its strengths, settling for undercooked transitions and insipid songwriting, stripping away the majesty of some otherwise intriguing sounds.
There are a ton of diverse influences spread across A Beautiful Life, occasionally manifesting into an enjoyable tune or soundscape on par with the best of Sweet Unknown. “The River” features gorgeous, squeaky banjos against the ambiance of birds chirping. “How Low” showcases tropical vibes and tight, funky licks, and the singalong melody and vintage sound on “The Thinker” serve as a pleasant way to end the album.
The two most cohesive songs are “A Beautiful Life” and “Went Around The World.” The latter feels like a morose, late ’90s singer-songwriter cut, à la Dido, with its gauzy atmosphere and twinkling arpeggios. Out of all the genre experimenting on this album, “Went Around the World” is the strangest. With a drum-beat and bassy melody that could fit right into a rap song, dramatic violins and horns and a sultry vocal performance from Wennerstrom, this is a slow burn that could work well as a James Bond theme.
The problem is that few of the other songs come together as well. Right from the opening track, “Revolution,” it’s clear that the rest of the trackless isn’t going to gel. After three minutes of acoustics, incessant, squealing feedback and blown-out vocals, the song awkwardly transitions into the band’s typical blues-rock form. “Photograph” starts out with a great lead melody straight out of a country-rock song. But then, the song turns into an ersatz Pink Floyd send-up for two minutes, with spacey guitars and a lethargic pace, before returning again to the upbeat, driving melody for the final third. These tracks simply aren’t strong enough or don’t have the energy to justify these wild changes in sound. And their length doesn’t help matters either. Six or five-minute-long songs wouldn’t be a problem if the content was worthwhile.
As for the lyrics, it’s nice to have a record driven by positivity and inclusiveness rather than the rampant cynicism people are used to from today’s popular music; the band’s political critiques are still basic and uninspiring. Their platitudes fall flat thanks to a lack of detail to support them. The only interesting aphorism appears at the very end of the record: “Don’t worry about material things/ in the end, there’s nothing they bring.” Nothing else is as succinct or poetic as this closing couplet.
One can sense that Wennerstrom is trying to breathe life into these stale lyrics and to imbue the songs with passion and charisma. She’s a versatile performer, but the vocal production never does her justice, suffering from excessive reverb and suffocating overdubs that strip away her singular personality. There’s no warmth in her delivery, which is needed to really sell this music and to elicit an empathetic response.
Given that Wennerstrom was involved in the production A Beautiful Life, this must be her vision. But it simply doesn’t work, solo project or no solo project.
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