Restless Spirit's self-titled album marks a significant departure from their previous work, 'Afterimage', which was marred by poor production. The band's new direction is lighter and more rocking, with a sense of brightness and wistfulness embedded in their burly, beefy sound. This shift in style places them alongside acts like Clutch, Fireball Ministry, and Freedom Hawk, making it perfect for summer sun and outdoor beer drinking.
The album's opening track, 'The Burning Need', showcases the band's slick, bluesy, hard rock sound, with big riffs and feedback backing up Paul Alosio's soulful vocals. It's groovy, crunchy stuff with a chorus that really pops and sticks in the craw, and it's easy to imagine it coming from a southern crew rather than three guys from New York. The goods keep coming with 'Hallowed', which is a bit more spacey and moody, but still packed with hooks and riffs that do most of the talking.
'Desolations Wake' is a big moment on the album, taking a rocked-out, rowdy approach to entertainingly punchy places with hard-charging guitar work that reminds a lot of Freedom Hawk. It's got enough machismo to put extra hair on your nethers and make you want to punch a boulder. This one is heading right to my fun in the sun playlist with a bullet.
However, not everything on the album is a home run. 'Red in Tooth and Claw' feels a bit more generic and safe, and while the nearly 7-minute 'Time and Distance' passes pretty well thanks to the powerhouse guitar work and forceful vocals, it does feel a bit overlong by the end. The nearly 9-minute closer, 'Phantom Pain', features a 70s psych-rock flavor that reminds me of Wino's solo material, and the laid-back, emotive guitars pair well with the rougher, heavy riffs. But the length isn't entirely justified, and by the 6th minute, things start to feel too stretched out.
Despite these minor shortcomings, the album's production is vastly better than its predecessor, feeling warm and bright. The guitars have the proper weight, and the drum sound is satisfyingly deep. The center of the Restless Spirit universe is Paul Alosio, whose riffs and emotive fretboarding provide the foundation for everything. He's quite adept at crafting powerful, sinuous leads that grab your attention, and he pairs his leads with an effectively rough but melodic vocal approach, delivering with gravitas and soul.
Marc Morello backs him up with thick, fat basslines that rumble and quake in all the best ways, while kitman Jon Gusman pounds away with abandon and a keen sense of groove. This is a talented trio, but their mostly good works get partially undermined by occasionally inconsistent writing and a bloat outbreak on the album's ass-end.
In conclusion, 'Restless Spirit' is a lesser creature than 'Afterimage' and 'Blood of the Old Gods', but when it hits the mark, it will leave a deep impression on your ears. It's worth checking out, and I'm still a big believer in what the future holds for Restless Spirit. Talent abides, and spirits lurk endlessly, after all. Hail the Isle of Long!
