The word that best describes this album is "smooth."
Smooth . . . it's something that's usually lacking from our lives these days. Seems like
everything's so hard, tough, rough; there's just too much friction, too
much uphill, too much push, too much strain at each and every
turn. Hell, in fact, just look right in front of you at the screen.Think about it: when's the last
time anything about your computer, your peripherals, your hardware, your
whatever operated smoothly? Better yet, examine your life -- what
the hell in your life is smooth anymore? Your friends, your job, your
plug-ins, any damn thing? My guess is: not much.
And wouldn't some smooth be nice? The smooth, say, of some
Tasty-Freeze flowing nice and clean outta the machine, swirling around and around right
down into your sugar cone? If you agree that there's just not enough smooth in your life
right now, take a listen to Fundamental.
Everything about this album is smooth: the music, the mix, the lyrics, Bonnie's voice,
the very sound itself. Fundamental sounds so damn good, so damn
smoooth that it's like your snowboard gliding on fresh powder
clean sun, or your surfboard all sex-waxed up. Yup, that's Fundamental -- free of
rough edges, free of all strain.
And even though this is pretty much the same-old-same-old from
Bonnie, you don't really care, 'cause this smoothness is
seductive. So seductive that it gives "easy listening" a good
name. You don't mind it, not even one little bit -- whether it's uptempo
("Blue For No Reason," "I Need Love") or down- ("Cure For Love," John
Hiatt's "Lover's Will").
Even her lyrical cohesion is smooth. All these songs are
about Bonnie's usual subject material: l-o-v-e. And when she talks about love, I'm not sure
she has the wisdom of the Talmud (or even "Women Are FromVenus, Men Are From
Mars") but she
does have a few good things to say.
So file down a few of those rough edges, lap up a little ice cream and take a listen.
