I’ve been a fan of Bonny Doon since their 2017 self-titled album on Melodic and Salinas Records. Their third full-length is out now through Anti-Records. The album is called Let There Be Music and has just two tags on its Bandcamp page: Punk and Detroit. Only one of those apply and let me tell you, it ain’t punk. If there were ever any rough edges to the music of Bonny Doon, you’ll find none of those on Let There Be Music. It’s probably the best case you could make against the album. Sometimes you’d wish Bonny Doon colored beyond the lines here and there, add in a false note or two, an unexpected scratched vocal perhaps. The band’s songs are almost too perfect, the band’s brand of indiepop, which I like to describe as The Shins americanafied, almost too clean.
The thing is, this record is just too good to dismiss. These songs are so well written and executed and flow nicely from one to another, it’s like sailing smoothly over the ocean, not a care in the world. Strangely, this is about the exact opposite of how the record came to fruition. It was recorded right around when the pandemic started and band members were diagnosed with chronic health issues. Then for a while, being the backing band of Katie Crutchfield’s Waxahatchee became the number one priority. It makes the sheer quality of Let There Be Music all the more impressive. Honestly, there is not a song on the LP I don’t like.
Buy Let There Be Music though Anti- Records, and catch them live on one of their upcoming tours. I’m pretty pumped to be seeing them in Rotterdam at the Left Of The Dial fest in October. Hopefully they perform at the Arminius Church, because I expect that venue (an old church) to be make these songs sound even more magical.