At this stage in her career, Linda S. Viens has nothing left to prove to rock and roll. Perhaps that is why Regenesis, Girl with a Hawk’s debut album, sounds so free: not like the first step of someone still trying to find their place, but like the calm return of a musician who knows exactly why she is still doing this. The result is a debut only in the technical sense. In reality, it sounds like the work of seasoned musicians with plenty of life behind them, settled enough to simply enjoy playing together.
Rather than fitting neatly into any one genre, Regenesis draws from power pop, American folk-rock and roots rock, with references that run from The Pretenders to The Jayhawks, via Lucinda Williams and Lou Reed, without ever sounding forced or artificially nostalgic. Pete Weiss’s production is organic and bright: jangly guitars, warm harmonies, straightforward drumming and a melodic bass line, all coming together in a record where every part has its place.
“I’m In Love With My Friends” captures much of the album’s charm. Clean guitars, a bright melody and Richard Lamphear’s Hammond and Farfisa tones lift the song into warm, almost radiant power pop. The lyrics are full of longing, memory and gratitude, but rather than sinking into nostalgia, the song turns that affection for friends into momentum and light.
“No One Like You” is a wonderful tribute to Taylor Hawkins, though the song ultimately opens out into something more universal about loss. The sound shifts too: repetitive guitars, a more spacious production and a road-worn folk-rock feel. The result is not a sombre elegy, but a luminous mourning song, carrying just enough sadness while still holding on to the hope of moving forward.
“Share It All” takes that brightness into more communal territory, with an Americana sound that makes empathy feel like something everyday rather than grandly stated. The album also moves into more uncomfortable places with “The Fighter”, featuring Stud Green’s violin and twangy guitars. It is the record’s darkest, most narrative track, hinting at shadows from the start before opening into a strain of Americana that belongs close to Lucinda Williams. The closing track, “Wasn’t It Just Yesterday”, has a lived-in boogie-rock feel, with the keyboards bringing a touch of Ian Hunter and the band showing how well it knows its craft. The years may not pass lightly, but Girl with a Hawk know exactly what they want: to keep playing.
Ultimately, Regenesis wins you over precisely because of that natural feel. It is an American rock record with a clear sense of itself: bright guitars, earthy roots and songs whose strength lies not in underlining everything, but in conveying something far simpler: the quiet joy of still having a place from which to play.
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