Miles Nielsen - Miles Nielsen Presents The Rusted Hearts

  by Lisa Torem

published: 17 / 3 / 2012

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Review

Even if Miles Nielsen’s father weren’t Rick Nielsen of Cheap Trick and if he hadn’t spent his toddler years on a rambling tour bus, he would have found his own voice, but this voice became deliciously weathered after his own copious touring and smartly choosing band members that clearly understand his vision. Nielsen created his excellent self-titled debut two years ago and returns with the talented ensemble, the Rusted Hearts. The moniker says it all. The songs have a lived-in quality that could only come from hard work and focus. The themes include unrequited bitterness and stories sometimes conclude with startling imagery. But beyond that, it’s almost as if Miles and the boys have created a new genre: pop noir? As these story-songs unfold, solos flow and then the next tracks reveal songs of refreshingly different palettes. The title song, ‘Rusted Hearts’ has a robust country flavour. ‘The Grain’ is straight and to the point. “My heart is a field,” Miles states. It is an all-around convincing love sonnet. He moves on to his ambiguous attraction to place with ‘Dear Kentucky (You’re Killing Me)', and the lyrics “Why do I lay at your felt?” and “All this talk about bluegrass/I’m seeing green…” And, he ultimately admits, surrounded by a ream of tony backing vocals, “I’m a disaster that needs looking after.” ‘Baby Blue’ is his earnest attempt to fix a botched up romance. “I was a fool/I was a liar it’s true.” It’s an old-fashioned charmer and Miles is so sincere, that we earnestly hope all is forgiven. His heartbreaking outpour of emotions shines through this simple treasure. ‘Disease’ goes off on another tangent. Turbulent guitars swirl as he divulges: “Young girls talking circles around me.” At mid point we hear ‘The Crown (Reprise)'. This elusive, understated ballad clearly earmarks Nielsen as a musician with diverse gifts. ‘Cold War’ is a starburst of elegant sound. Miles, here with roughhewn vocals, waxes nostalgic. “Your heart beats snow in a cold war/Mine’s beating fast/Tell me about the cold war and how you survived.” The sophisticated pervasive lyric remains strong: “80 years later when the hindsight is so clear…” ‘Overrated’ was co-written by band member Daniel James McMahon. It is to the point and crisply catchy, not to mention it has a great balance of story and lead guitar. ‘Maria’ could have been co-written by Randy Newman. “Maria was born in 1960/ Father was a farmer/Soaked in whiskey…” This is a fascinating cakewalk of southern drawl and wry observations. ‘All Time Loser’ excels in old-timey tradition. Miles, a natural vocal mimic, renders a scintillating swoon with this stompy, swampy nostalgia-fused ballad. ‘Sirens’ is the black swan in the homogeneous pond. This prog rock lush tune becomes more gorgeous,compliments of another band member, Adam Plamann, who created the intro. ‘Soul Bash’ is exactly what the man says. Another co-write by Nielsen/McMahon, this one is purely instrumental, short, but at 1:32, still delightfully sweet. 'Miles Nielsen Presents The Rusted Hearts' is a timeless gem which features incredibly balanced songwriting and a tight as a fist band.

Track Listing:-

1 Rusted Hearts
2 The Grain
3 Dear Kentucky (You're Killing Me)
4 Baby Blue
5 Disease
6 The Crown (Reprise)
7 Cold War
8 Overrated
9 Maria
10 All Time Loser
11 Sirens
12 Soul Bash

Band Links:-

https://www.facebook.com/milesnielsenm
http://www.milesnielsen.com/
https://twitter.com/TheRustedHearts
https://www.instagram.com/therustedhea