Album Review: Bonny Doon - Bonny Doon

The press release for Bonny Doon's self-titled debut LP rattles off major talents like Smog and Silver Jews as stylistic touchstones for the Detroit band. It leans into it by nominating Neil Young's Ditch Trilogy as being fellow peas in a large pod.

Unfortunately, the Doons just can't back it up. It's a breezy release that listlessly wanders through the usual themes (heartbreak, existentialism, et al) without confronting any of them, happy instead to explore deconstructed alt-country and garage folk rock. The music is never allowed to stray far from a central riff or idea, so the whole album is a very low risk/low rewards kind of deal. The Real Estate with zero ambition.