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A.A. Bondy

MusicBlog

Location: Alabama, NY

Website: http://www.myspace.com/aabondy

Bio: Recorded in a lone barn in upstate New York, each note on singer-songwriter A.A. Bondy’s debut album “American Hearts” (Fat Possum, April 15) resonates with ... (more) the stunning beauty of the nature in which it was created. A.A. Bondy paints tales of life and love with an imagery that seems partly culled from the pages of some lost American novel, complete with characters and their struggles to make sense of the world around them. At first, it’s hard to believe the front man for Alabama rock band Verbena had a trove of folk-inspired blues gems secreted away, but A.A. Bondy’s heartfelt song and intriguing lyrics make it clear they have been there all along.

With inspiration for “American Hearts” stemming from the tall pines and countryside of his barn-turned-studio in Palensville, NY, the album was recorded, mixed and completed in under just one month. Enlisting only the help of his family The Felice Brothers and sister Clare Felice to help craft the record, A.A. Bondy’s minimal instrumental layers and careful arrangement shine though on each track. The result is a stark, sincere album that lingers long after the last note.

“There Is A Reason” is a slow dance of gentle guitar and A.A. Bondy’s slightly weathered croon, depicting the destructive yet redeeming qualities of romance. Wistful “Black Rain, Black Rain” decrees the impossibility of forgetting lost love and title track “American Hearts” is a heartfelt reminder of brotherhood and compassion, sweetened by a soft Harmonica tune. “Vice Rag” is a light-hearted romp told by a sinner seducing his weaknesses—be it cocaine, whiskey or the need to be saved.
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