Spoken like a true new parent: "I feel a little lame, like I'm kind of boring / I wish I could meet my former self / She'd be a fun girlfriend."
So sings Haley Bonar in "Bad Reputation," her first new recording since her April 2011 album "Golder." In the interval, the Twin Cities singer/songwriter became a mom and stepped out to have fun with her new wavey side band Gramma's Boyfriend. She's back to her old, daydreamy, anxious, wanderlustful self in the gorgeous new song, featuring a rolling beat and excellent tide-rising guitar work by Jacob Hanson. It's being released along with a mellower new tune, "Down Sunny Roads," as a 7-inch single to preview a full album expected next year. It's also available as a download via Bandcamp.
NPR Music chose "Bad Reputation" for one of its "All Songs Considered" selections yesterday. Tonight, Bonar and her band will play a gig to tout the 7-inch's release and preview other new songs at the Varsity Theater with a pair of fun, eclectic openers, Van Stee and Buffalo Moon (8 p.m., $14, click here for ticket info).
(Above photo by Stephanie Colgan)
