I first heard Megan Bonnell at the SaskMusic.org showcase during the CMJ festival in October, and was immediately captivated by her warm dusky voice and compelling performance style. She phrases her lyrics in shard-like fragments that become poetic vapor trails, accompanied, the day I heard her, mostly by her own solo piano, or occasionally on guitar. I got a preview copy of her first full-length album, “Hunt & Chase,” released by Nevado Records, and have been listening to it obsessively the past few weeks. In Toronto’s online magazine Now, Julia LeConte has given it a great review, quoted below in full.

“Megan Bonnell’s first full-length album walks the line between reverie and reality. The more dreamlike, the better – like opening track Coming Home, which combines surreal lyrics, almost tribal chanting and ethereal, echoey flourishes. Or the strange title tune, which bubbles over with musical-theatre-worthy drama. All of this is enhanced by Bonnell’s husky, versatile voice. In her upper register she sounds more than a little like Joni Mitchell, though the artist most immediately called to mind is Damien Rice. We Are Strangers Now is so very O-like, and even the vocals on Say My Name nod to the Irish singer/songwriter. Bonnell isn’t nearly as depressing, but she does channel Rice’s ‘once heartbroken never healed’ melancholy, which, via affecting piano and guitar melodies fleshed out with spooky, fantastical production, grows more interesting with each listen.”

I’m eager to hear her live again sometime soon. Meantime, I’ll continue enjoying the album.