Search - Haley Bonar :: Size of Planets

"...the size of planets" outshines the stars

B. Barnhart | Minneapolis, Minnesota | 04/27/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I have to confess, I was initially a bit wary of an album from a twenty-year-old who composes songs out of images that surface in her dreams. But then I did what each of you should do: I tracked down her website ... and listened to a few tracks off the album; I quickly became a fan. Haley's voice is a perfect river flowing through the haunted landscape of these stories. From "save a horse, ride a cowboy" all the way through to "lullaby" I'm reminded of all the heartache and joy wrapped up in being human. Haley's songs are mature well beyond her twenty years; her lyrics (like, "she knows my ship is sinking, but that's okay; i've always liked the water.") chart a course through the everyday truths that linger in the back closets of our lives. Bravo to Haley for "...the size of planets." It's a great album in a day when there is so much music and so little actually worth listening to. Buy a copy for yourself, and buy copies for all of your friends. You can even pretend you found her first. I won't tell."

An incredible album...

William M. Knoblauch | Arizona, USA | 06/13/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I need to begin by saying that this is only my second review. The other is a page I made about XTC a year ago while being paid to substitute teach a high school shop class. I only note this because it's very doubtful that any two artists could be more removed from each other, and yet I feel that both warrant consideration in nearly everyone's CD player.



Haley hails from a part of this country that isn't well known for its musicians: the upper mid-west. Dylan aside, Duluth MN isn't exactly a hotbed of musical talent. Further south in the Twin Cities, one can discover a music scene both rich in history (The Replacements, The Jayhawks, Prince, just to name a few) and full of new talent (Chill 7, Mason Jennings, the Bad Plus), including Ms. Bonar, recently a new arrival.



Her first outing, THE SIZE OF PLANETS, will earn the respect of the most critical music aficionados with its opening track "Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy." The chromatic organ line gives way to a voice that sounds both fresh and weary at the same time, a unique combination that is better heard than read about (go ahead...Amazon will let you sample). While the band sounds like it was hired for only a day's recording, it would be hard for the most novice session musician make these songs sterile. Tracks 2 and 3, "Am I Allowed" and "Drinking Again" are equally strong, shifting to a less produced sound that focuses on Haley and her guitar, lending to an intimacy that isn't compromised by the fact it's experienced on a CD and not live. The sincerity shines through.



Haley recorded this CD before she could legally drink, and because of this much of her literary images have come under scrutiny from older (and less talented) critics. To chide Haley Bonar's subject matter based on her age is about as logical as attacking Emily Bronte's WUTHERNING HEIGHTS due to a lack of experience. Both display the same emotions: longing, love and estrangement, and both do so brilliantly. But there is some filler on the album, and I expect that many listeners will skip ahead (especially to track 7, "Billy"). Regardless, this CD is worth buying, and I cannot say that about much new music. Maybe DOGS DIE IN HOT CARS. Maybe GORILLAZ. Maybe THE DELAYS. But aside from the last Guided by Voices CD, this is one of the few that warrants saving up hard earned graduate school dollars (which, believe me, are few). The most impressive thing about Ms. Bonar is that someone else in her shoes might come across as trying to sound like Joni Mitchell, or Edie Brickell, but Haley just sounds like herself. That is a rarity in today's music, and it lends her the authenticity and credibility to deserve a listen. And a review.



Her and XTC.





"

Haley Bonar: ...The Size of Planets (Chairkickers, 2002)

sylantroadie | Fort Worth, TX USA | 01/07/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Haley croons at the end of "Car Wreck," "I sing about the things I love/I sing about the things I love...." To sing about what one loves can be personal, painful and open. Haley, on ...The Size of Planets, conveys all three. Frankly, I don't know if Haley is bearing her soul or if the people in her songs are characters, but, if she is singing about herself, I have not heard such a personal album since Jesse Eubanks' West Coast Politics, East Coast Love. Not only are her lyrics thought provoking and emotive, but the passion in her voice is not overwrought nor unconvincing but beckons the hearer to listen intently to her story. The album is laden with organ, acoustic guitar, and stripped down drums. The instrumentation provides dramatic accents to her voice that enhance rather than distract.



Each individual song on this album is a strong contribution. The themes of love, innocence lost and growing up are all treated freshly and personally. Her writing takes these potentially hackneyed themes and makes them powerful. The entire album holds together and feels fluid and consistent. "Bless This Mess" is probably the song that impacted me most on this album. It speaks of growing up, imperfection, and disillusionment. She speaks of her religious roots and how she croons for acceptance in spite of her current worldview.







Mom and dad took me to church

to learn the word

to speak it good

I'm sure I was a good enough little girl

made them proud

sing it loud

oh, mr judge it wasn't always this way

I just changed one day

realized I've strayed

a little parade

for a little girl with a freckled face

I smile wide

guess I lost my pride

guess I lost my pride





Haley goes on in detail about her change unapologetically. I find writers often avoid this type of religious laden song, and Haley makes one powerful song with her honesty. Like traditional songwriting, the song is just Haley and her acoustic guitar telling a story, but not in that trite way. She displays her ability to communicate through music in a powerful way through this song.



The opening track to the disc, "Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy," begins with haunting organ and Haley's melancholy vocals. She sings of her love for a cowboy and her yearning for that epic context we find in westerns. That mythic setting of the range and the heroic cowboy that just might go weak in the knees just for her. This description is not to give the impression that this song sounds like a country tune. It has sparse drums and accented organ reminiscent of Low with Haley's voice carrying the melody. It is mid-tempo and moving.



Another highlight on this disc is "Car Wreck." I can hear the influence of major singer songwriters on her music here combined with Low's slow build. She starts the song quiet and is able to build to multiple crescendos throughout the course of the song. There is jangley guitar, stripped down drums and distant hints of strings, organ and some electrical sounds. "Go away angels" also has an open religious feel to it. This is one of Haley's quieter songs with just accents of guitar and Haley's beautiful voice. She speaks to the angels and tells them that they are not needed and they make her nervous and, frankly, she is poor and broke but happy with her guitar. The images she conjures up are beautiful, melancholy, and powerful. "The Water" seems to hint at suicide and one's sinking while a friend notices and tries to help. This is another stripped down song with snare keeping time and the organ once again. Haley's voice is put on an echo effect and it really brings the lyrics alive.



All in all, I would call this disc powerful. Haley seems like a seasoned songwriter. Her voice is compelling, and she backs that voice up with meaningful lyrics and music that gives itself to the song. She croons and begs the hearer to listen and I sure will be listening for sometime to come."