Bondy hones skills with 'Devil's Loose'

A.A. BONDY; "When the Devil's Loose," (Fat Possum) ★★★★

With his sophomore CD, "When the Devil's Loose," singer/songwriter A.A. Bondy has added a few more textures to his sound.

The follow-up to the stark genius of "American Hearts" finds its style traveling through the dusty roads of Southern ghost towns and endless, humid highways.

The fact that the CD was produced by Bruce Watson in Water Valley, Miss., adds to the nuance.

It's easy to imagine Bondy, the former lead singer of Verbena, and his ragtag band playing late-night dance halls when the album's title track snakes out of the speakers.

The solitary and longing vocal delivery on "To the Morning" is backed by the deserted dance halls that echo with the reverb of mono recordings, without the scratchiness.

Setting the listener on the lonely road is the CD opener "Mightiest of Guns," an intricate Americana gem that spotlights Bondy's imperfect and touching delivery.

While Bondy uses the guitar and occasional mouth harp, it's the semi-out-of-tune piano that shines during the bar-stool sing-along harmonies "On the Moon" and the forlorn follow-up track "The Mercy Wheel."

The CD wraps up with the slow, empty and apparitional amusement-park feel of "The Coal Hits the Fire."

"When the Devil's Loose" sees Bondy settling into his new, saggy skin. It's perfect for road trips, but also comfy at home.

e-mail: scott@desnews.com