In 1996, Tracy Bonham cemented her place in alternative rock history with her massive hit, “Mother Mother”. The single, the first from her debut album, The Burden of Being Upright earned Bonham two Grammy nominations and the status of being the first female artist to top the Billboard Alternative Airplay charts. Perhaps more importantly, the song, along with Bonham’s bold approach to rock, placed her in the zeitgeist and put her in the company of world class female artists of the time, including Fiona Apple, Liz Phair and Courtney Love, who were looming large in musical equality, among a sea of male rock stars.
What belies Burden‘s raw, rebellious nature and stinging shots at ex-boyfriends and critics, is the fact that Bonham is a classically-trained, violinist and pianist. To the casual listener, Bonham will always be “that girl who put out that raging alternative song and album in 1996”. But bigger fans of Bonham may know that she has, in fact put out subsequent records which display her innate talent for painting exquisite, aural musical pictures that combine posh, high end cotillions with jazzy, classical music and Bonham’s playful, down-to-earth lyrical abilities.
The jazzy cabaret flavors found in many of her later records were a vast departure from her raucous debut. While they did well in certain circles and we’re received positively by critics, they often suffered from being put out during times in which other genres of music, such as nu metal, were the focus of what was going on in the current popular music culture.
Enter the year 2025 and Bonham’s upcoming record, Sky Too Wide. On this latest foray into classical, jazz and cabaret crooning , Bonham has teamed up with world renowned jazz musicians, Rene Hart and Alvester Garnett (bass and drums, respectively). The result is a lush, sometimes brooding, sometimes teasing but always unexpected musical trip that visits Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel as much as it does Regina Spektor and Cat Power.
The first track, “Give Us Something to Feel” begins with a bare-bones bass that leads off by way of a 50s’ beatnick jazz style with Bonham’s slightly dark, almost imploring vocals, which practically dare the listener to stick around and discover the rest of the record. Throughout this song and the record in general, Bonham is digging deep into her psyche and delivering almost stream of consciousness, dream-style lyrics that are equally as freeing for her as they are pleasurable to the listener. Those expecting a continuation of Bonham‘s angst ridden, 90s grunge style songs are in for a surprise, whether they consider that surprise pleasant, strange, or just too far from Bonham‘s former wild, musical self.
As we move to track two, “The Uncertain Sun”, we hear Bonham’s vulnerably reflecting on the various shades of sunsets (and life) within a world of people who just don’t seem to care about small but important things (“no one/ even / looks at/ the real thing anymore”). The minimalist piano and voices throughout the song effectively emphasize this.
This album may seem like a reinvention of self for Bonham, the former angst ridden, abrasive, alternative rock queen. But it’s not. The reflective, inquisitive classical, jazz-like numbers in which Bonham seeks meaning in life and cleverly expresses herself, are who she has always been.
Arguably, one of the most effective lyrical proclamations by Bonham comes in the song, “Jumping Bean” (“I won’t be that jumping bean anymore/ I can’t be a beauty queen anymore… I won’t be a hit machine anymore”). This song is one instance on the record that reverts back to her rock ‘n’ roll vibe with a grunge-style guitar, leading her strong, clear statements out of the speaker and into your head.
“Damn the Sky (For Being Too Wide) creates a theatrical, almost Disney princess- like feel that finds Bonham longing for the people in her life with whom she is closest, who are far away when she needs them. Of note on this song as on much of the album, is Bonham’s vocal which sounds uncannily close to the voice of Isabel Monteiro, the singer of criminally underrated dream-pop band, Drugstore.
The rest of the album continues to use rich piano and strings in juxtaposition with Bonham’s pristine, jazz-singer vocals combined with unexpected, slightly dark and sometimes comical lyrics. “Don’t Dick Around With My Heart” is one such example.
The album closes out with “Safe With Me”, a violin-led, maudlin feeling track which pairs a slightly gloomy, sinister musical atmosphere with a final positive message that Bonham has your back and will be there for you. You have her heart, but you need to treat it gently. Overall, it’s a good final message that sums up Bonham’s deep thoughts and reflections which occur over the course of the record.
This record, which is worlds from Bonham’s well-known alternative rock debut, shows Bonham‘s true depth and ability to musically communicate to many types of audiences. She delivers messages in different styles, all of which are at the top of their game. The album reads like a piece of a larger puzzle of previous albums, which all combine to tell one story. It’s Bonham’s story and it’s ever changing and evolving, but always interesting.
The album is out tomorrow, June 6th, and you can listen to the pre-released tracks here.
The Indy Review 