American music lives in A.A. Bondy's bones. After his band Verbena cashed in their chips in 2005, Bondy sold his electric guitar and moved to the Catskills, where he crafted 2007's austere solo debut, American Hearts. The emotional aftermath of a failed love affair produced last year's moody, richer When The Devil's Loose. With Southern-gothic underpinnings and sleepy folk instrumentation, Bondy's latest release invokes apocalyptic imagery — classic Americana filtered through eerie Pentecostal foreboding. Now backed by a full band, A.A. Bondy is abetted by greater instrumental detail, adding color to the wintry shades of gray.
