Now didn't I tell you some sad sack music would be following up my first post back? It wouldn't be a return to form if I didn't post something more along the lines of slow indie rock with folk leanings. I don't intend to mislead, Believers is not a dismal record made by someone with a beard. Nor is it dismal, or outright depressing. But it is a contemplative record, one to sit with as it's sounds wash over you.
Believers is Bondy's third record, one that displays full artistic maturity. American Hearts was a lesson in Americana, soothing folk music derivative of Dylan, Guthrie and others like them. His second record When the Devil's Loose, showed experimentation, still with folk leanings but with songs like "A Slow Parade" and "False River" becoming songs that showcase the electric guitar as they meander their way into your ears. Believers takes that sound he dabbled in and goes head on. The best way to describe this album is to listen with headphones of a sort and literally let the songs and their tones wash over you like waves.
There are moments where the structured song bears a resemblance of the Americana roots where he came from, like "Drmz" and "Surfer King". But for the most part, Bondy is letting the noise carry him through his songs. The ambiance of "Skull and Bones" will leave you with a very haunting feeling. "Highways/Fevers", the middle point of the record, slowly builds tension for the release of "Drmz", the next track. The record may take more of an invested listening to fully understand it, but once that is achieved, it becomes a very rewarding listen. Like all of A.A Bondy's work, one can't say Believers is his best, all his records hold their own merits of greatness. However, the mature sound he as grown into is extremely exciting and only points to more great music in the future.
Tracks:
- The Heart is Willing
- Down in the Fire (Lost Sea)
- Skull & Bones
- 123 Dupuy Street
- Surfer King
- Highway/Fevers
- Drmz
- The Twist
- Rte. 28/Believers
- Scenes from a Circus
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