A.A. Bondy’s debut album is a lush, atmospheric folk/Americana album and his version of the style nails everything I like about it nearly perfectly. For one thing, he has the voice for the style; it’s breathy and communicates so much emotion. It does this in a “show, don’t tell” way. I know how he feels about the songs based on the tone and inflection of his voice, rather than just the words he sings. These are songs of reflection on memories, good and bad, but all filtered through a lens of contentment. It’s a happy album, but it doesn’t sound that way at first. To put it bluntly, the album is beautiful and just seems extremely relevant to my life. But beyond that, A.A. Bondy is clearly one of the more talented singer/songwriters in folk music today. His melodies are intricate and dense, easy to get lost in, and they suit his vocals well in that they just seem to fit together. Some music captures the spirit of rural America exceptionally well, and A.A. Bondy’s American Hearts is one of those albums. I think his future albums (he’s released two more since) would expand on his strengths, both as a lyricist and as a composer, but this is an excellent contemporary folk album.
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