From taking a one way flight to Melbourne eight years ago to touring internationally with headline shows, the Kiwi lads from Bonjah have put a lot of hard work into their sound which is clearly evident in their third studio release, Beautiful Wild. Every track exudes that bluesy rock fuelled confidence, with frontman Glen Mossop’s signature vocals and the band’s driving guitar making each hook electric.
The album jumps from warm slow melodies like “Bullet In The Barrel”, to fast beat rhythms that will have you air-guitaring to “Honey”. If you were expecting the steady rise and fall of a traditional album flow, you may be surprised; Beautiful Wild embodies its very title, taking you through the escapades of love yearned and spurned. The lyricism throughout is thought provoking and full of soul, culminating in the line, “This love, will it ever be right?“.
Stand out tracks, aside from the brilliant pre-release “Evolution” with its contagious hooks, include “Other Side” which is reminiscent of Bonjah’s earlier works and “Inner Voice”. Each track demonstrates a different angle to the album pace without pulling any of the passion from Mossop’s vocals. Backed by subtle harmonies and delicious guitar riffs these catchy tracks will be on your mind later.
While the opening track takes its time getting to the punch, the energy injected into this album appears effortless, showcasing every element that earned Bonjah their following. If you pick this album for its feature releases like “Evolution”, you will not be disappointed.
Review Score: 6.5 out of 10.
—
Beautiful Wild is out now through Inertia.
———-
