Anyone familiar with Bonnie Doon's 2015 video for their single "Pizza Shark" is well aware that the Ottawa four-piece like to wrap their image around the irreverent and the puerile. But on their debut LP, Dooner Nooner, the garage/surf punk purveyors have found inventive and resourceful methods of delivering their two-to-three-minute anti-messages. Led by the twin bass guitar attack of Lesley Marshall and Sarah Patterson, the album's nine tracks are defined by a sludgy and sonically compelling low-end drone that lays low below talk of smelly jeans, dune buggies and b-holes.
Clocking in at a mere 24 minutes, Dooner Nooner is positively packed with ideas. "Haunted Life" opens with a driving faux-drone metal intro, "Panty Twister" features a skronk sax solo straight from the '70s no wave scene and "Ghost Story" is an ultra-catchy spoken word piece that works off of guitarist Mad Dawg Watson's funkiest moments. Lesley Demon's vocals prove to be the secret weapon, as they remain tuneful and melodic even when she's repeating a simple phrase like "Take me to the beach."
For those staunchly convinced that Bonnie Doon aren't taking things seriously, Dooner Nooner proves that… yes, they're not taking it seriously. But when they're so damn good at doing just that, why change?
(Record Centre Records)Clocking in at a mere 24 minutes, Dooner Nooner is positively packed with ideas. "Haunted Life" opens with a driving faux-drone metal intro, "Panty Twister" features a skronk sax solo straight from the '70s no wave scene and "Ghost Story" is an ultra-catchy spoken word piece that works off of guitarist Mad Dawg Watson's funkiest moments. Lesley Demon's vocals prove to be the secret weapon, as they remain tuneful and melodic even when she's repeating a simple phrase like "Take me to the beach."
For those staunchly convinced that Bonnie Doon aren't taking things seriously, Dooner Nooner proves that… yes, they're not taking it seriously. But when they're so damn good at doing just that, why change?