Bebe le Strange

Bebe le Strange is the fifth album on which, after the departure of the founding guitarist Roger Fisher, Heart powerfully sought a new band balance with the sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson as a clearer center. With the sisters’ leadership strengthened more than before, its content is harder, with the sisters’ character to the fore. A hard guitar feel, Ann’s soaring, powerful singing and Nancy’s delicate acoustic freely move between roughness and lyricism. From the heavy, powerful groove of “Even It Up,” featuring a horn section, and the urgent title track “Bebe le Strange” to “Break,” with its more intimate, warm air, each song gives off a clear character and color, while cuts like “Rockin’ Heaven Down” and “Down on Me” convey the work’s fullness. A truly Heart-like record that turned the tension of the great turning point of a founding member’s departure directly into powerful creative energy. Even amid a difficult situation, the Wilson sisters’ sure talent and leadership powerfully drive the band. With a tightened appeal particular to the new lineup, it is an engaging, fulfilling work — a record where the sisters’ solidarity shines.