Continuing in my tardiness and late-to-the-game postings, I am finally getting to the Bondy track. Actually, this hit the interwebs just before I left for vacation, and I wore the proverbial grooves off the digital file with repeat plays. A.A. Bondy, perhaps, is one of our country's 1) best lyrical songwriters, and 2) most underrated lyrical songwriters. A shift in the right direction seems to be upon the music world, as Bondy's upcoming Fat Possum release is hitting the blogosphere like a buzzsaw. This is good news, and refreshes my respect for the boys and gals that fuck with html code and wordpress plugins all day. Sometimes, the music web arena gets it right, even if it's a tad late or after the peak, so to speak. Bondy's first two albums, to me, are in the pantheon, and most definitely sit atop my favorite albums of the decade list. The subtle rasp, the self-destructive and evasive humor that eminates from the live performances – Bondy is a crooning, disturbed troubadour, culling inspiration from pain and a witty brain the size of a watermelon. "The Heart is Willing" began as an NPR stream and has now been opened up for stream everywhere. The track is a slight left turn from the sullen anthems of When the Devil's Loose, but as with all Bondy efforts, three plays is the charm. It's a wicked tune, swirling into Bondy's more rockerish past.
