Sometimes the gentlest and faintest breezes carry our most heavy memories along with them.  In fact, it’s when we’re in our most contemplative and serene state that true recollection and emotional digestion occurs.  William Wordsworth fancied his pals at his lake house with “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud,” glancing upon that “inward eye” and found peace with complete isolation in solitary reflection.  In much the same way, When the Devil’s Loose flows over listeners like a billowing blanket and Bondy’s impeccable pairing of ripe lyrical imagery and soothing pop-folk sensibility is best enjoyed in those solo moments of personal introversion. Devoid of overblown pretension and hokey sentimentality, what is left is a brilliantly sincere collection of soothing balladry that desperately needs to be held close and personally to be enjoyed to its fullest.

A slippery, quick-playing 36 minutes is all Bondy needs to clutch listeners into a world of insanely calming songs of internal tension and release.  The entire record is alarmingly consistent despite a lush variety of point-of-view changes and lyrical twists buried deep within the arrangements.  “Mightiest of Guns” begins what permeates the entire album, namely Bondy’s slight gravel and raspy vibratto.  In all nine tracks, Bondy manages to pull off miracles with his vocal chords, sweetly balancing tension and completely soothing delivery. In the aforementioned track, gently finger-picked guitar arpeggios blend gorgeously with stringed synthesizer flourishes.  It’s simply comfort food for the ears, nearly as heartwarming as apple pie and as lulling as a looping go-to-bed melody.

Despite the outward appearance of simplistic backyard Americana, the instrumentation and guitar work cannot be underscored when looking critically at the effort.  In When The Devil’s Loose, more instruments are added this time and it emulsifies Bondy’s sensibilities beautifully.  Rich piano melodies span all nine songs, particularly in “A Slow Parade” and “On The Moon.”  The former is full and sonorous but entirely mellow.  Somewhere within this track lies the inherent paradox of the album.  On one hand the music makes no attempt to over saturate the listener experience with overdone pretension and excessive personality.  The drunken sing-along chorus is delicious and infuses the paradoxical energy into the mix.  The lulling music is overwhelmingly full of candy-flavored tension.  Chorus effects on the guitar also create a fuller sound from his previous album.  “The Mercy Wheel” integrates a jarring, echoed out guitar effect that bristles with Bondy’s vocal delivery and the more tinny acoustic guitar arrangement.  All of this is of entirely circumstantial importance depending on listener tastes and moods.

Lyrically, Bondy exudes a subtle arrogance and words melt together beautifully throughout.  “Oh the Vampyre” is written from the point of view of a vampire and imagery of blood, life, and death bring out richness.  Much of the album’s lyrical tilt focuses on the cyclical nature of life and the replacement of things once lost.  In “I Can See the Pines Are Dancing,” harvesting imagery is paired with visions of dying and rebirth.  “The is the blade.  This is the beauty.  These are the stars, raining down from the sky. . .I am a fire, and I must burn today.”  Similarly to how Bondy constructs this album with swirling folk tenderness, the lyrics also match up.  Things come to an end in life, but new harvests are always promised just over the horizon.  All nine tracks weave listeners through thought-provoking and symbolic lyricism packed with enough snakebite to leave the brain and ears completely saturated.

The album hits the shelves September 1st, but you can preorder it through our Insound link below.  Enjoy the title track, as well as a newly released track, “I Can See the Pines Are Dancing,” as well.  This album has repeat play value written all over it.  We’re confident in giving it our wholehearted recommendation.

A.A. Bondy – I Can See The Pines Are Dancing

A.A. Bondy – When The Devil’s Loose

Pre-Order When The Devil’s Loose at Insound Today!