Everything Is Noise and Bonniesongs go way back – our first premiere of Bonnie Stewart’s music was back in 2018, after all. Thus, I’m chuffed to see her back all this time later. The Australia-based artist from Ireland has turned heads all over the world with her gentle but impactful blend of psychedelia, folk, grunge, and dream pop. There’s a hard edge to the mellow vibes she gets across the ether; think a less ethereal, more punchy take on Grouper for a quick reference. In all fairness, though, Bonniesongs doesn’t need any outside frame of reference to have her sound be immediately arresting.
With her background in improvised jazz, avant-garde folk, and bluegrass, you’d expect Stewart to deliver some truly outré music; what we get, however, is a music that’s easy to connect with, a truly immediate form of Americana-tinged grunge folk. All this to say Bonniesongs makes music that goes straight for the heart, I suppose.
You can tell that Stewart has been gathering new experiences left and right since the release of her Bonniesongs début Energetic Mind in 2019; collaborating with other musicians and touring the world with established acts such as Fink, Joan as Police Woman, and The Beths has audibly offered her fresh perspectives and bolstered her confidence. Her latest single “Strangest Feeling” feels fresh and familiar at the same time, like wearing your favorite pair of shoes after getting them resoled – everything still fits perfectly, but with a renewed sense of purpose.
“Strangest Feeling” comes as the third single off Bonniesongs‘ upcoming album of the same name, due out on July 25 via Impressed Recordings. Stewart’s warm, enveloping vocals are the focal point of the song, which is built on a solid foundation of punchy drums and slightly crunchy guitars. Wafts of atmosphere allow this mixture to float gently, firmly tethered to the ground by the more down-to-earth elements of the Bonniesongs formula. There’s a rootsy vibe to it all, and not in the corny sense either; this is an earnest, honest, yet starry-eyed sound inherent to Stewart’s solo expeditions.
Written in the throes of lockdown and the inevitable transition back into everyday life, Strangest Feeling the album concerns itself with the liminal nature of those years and how they affected Stewart on an emotional and interpersonal level. Reckoning with her sense of home, relationships amidst upheaval, and general chaos, this is Bonniesongs at her rawest, most vulnerable yet. But it’s not all doom and gloom, I might add; there’s certainly some sense of levity and even whimsy to be found amongst the turmoil.
As I mentioned earlier, Strangest Feeling will be out on July 25. If you want, you can pre-order it via the label’s webshop. Bonniesongs‘ previous recordings, as well as the other singles off this upcoming record, are available on Bandcamp. Follow Stewart on Facebook and Instagram to stay up to date with all things Bonniesongs!
Artist images courtesy of Nick Mckk
