A.A. Bondy
American Hearts (Fat Possum)
ESSENTIAL "There's a Reason"
Close your eyes, fling away the CD case, don't peek at iTunes, and you'd swear that "American Hearts" was Ryan Adams's 374th new album, and not a solo disc from Verbena's lead singer. Bondy may sound just like the East Village troubadour, but "American Hearts" treats rock 'n' roll as a pool of traditional licks, riffs, and couplets to be pilfered. "I don’t want to talk about Jesus/ I just want to see his face," Bondy begins on "Rapture (Sweet Rapture)," unashamedly cribbing from the Rolling Stones' "Exile on Main Street" famed line. Hey, you might as well steal from the best. "American Hearts" is nothing if not familiar, sounding like M. Ward and other gravel-voiced purveyors of Americana nostalgia; but the familiarity is mostly pleasant. Wistful harmonicas, plucked pianos, and brushed drums burble below guitars on tracks like "Of the Sea," offering musical consolation for weary travelers of all kinds. It's like a mix tape of covers of your favorite songs. [Saul Austerlitz]
