“If I come crawling back to you, would you take me as I am? Would you play me for a fool?” - “Rusted Hearts,” by Miles Nielsen
From the very start of Miles Nielsen’s “Presents The Rusted Hearts” album, there’s a cautious sting. We know that the man’s suffered and caused a lot of suffering and the pain is still like a fresh slice from a rusty knife. “Rusted Hearts” is the aftermath. Everything on the album has this breathless urgency. Nielsen’s band is so wrapped up in these songs that they naturally swing and compliment the lush melodies with a result that sounds like lightning trapped in a bottle. The tight arrangements build and boil and the Rusted Hearts sound oozes the confidence of a band that knows each other and, better yet, knows exactly how to serve the songs (click here to see a quick video caught during the making of the record).
It’s almost uncomfortable how enjoyable and even joyous they’ve managed to make an album that’s seared with a lasting, tannic regret. Nielsen’s lyrics hurt and take a place on his sleeve next to his heart. The easy comparison to “Rusted Hearts” would be Dylan’s, “Blood On the Tracks,” but that’s lazy journalism and would belie the singular compositions that Nielsen has created. The energy on “Rusted Hearts” comes from the same raw place as Zimmerman’s, but Nielsen rarely points the finger; instead, he dresses his regrets and targets with characters (Baby Blue, Disease, All-Time Loser, Maria) and places (Kentucky, The Grain, Cold War). Many songs have a belly-up-to-the-bar, self-deprecating tilt that welcomes in anyone that wants to hear a fresh take on love’s oldest story. Miles Nielsen and the Rusted Hearts have taken a wilted theme and given it a timeless spark with a deceptively effortless, textured masterpiece that transcends its flimsy subject and has made something truly lasting.
- Jojo Wrinkles
> Miles Nielsen ”Presents The Rusted Hearts” will be available on October 11th, 2011, in various formats. Limited Ed. Vinyl, CD, and Digital Downloads. Please visit the band’s website to learn more.
> Listen to an interview with Miles Nielsen, recorded in early 2010, with Sock Monkey Sound.
