“Invisible handcuffs locked on me, been praying for my period all week,” sings songwriter Alicia Bognanno a few bars into Trying, the lead single from Bully’s debut LP Feels Like. It’s an illuminating glimpse into the mind of the Nashville band’s frontwoman. Bognanno’s lyrics are as honest as they are defiant, and with so much to get off her chest, you might expect Feels Like to be overly self-indulgent. However, Bognanno conveys a charming vulnerability that, when coupled with the quartet’s grunge-y riffs, makes for an album that rocks in all the right ways.
When she’s not gently admitting, “I’m just looking for clarity to help me to get through,” she’s yelling, “I remember getting too fucked up, and I remember throwing up in your car,” (in opener I Remember). In Picture, the 25 year-old’s stroppy contempt will speak to anyone who’s had their photo taken when they didn’t want to. Meanwhile lines like, “I thought that he would never hit a girl, but I guess you never know,” are delivered with the world-weariness of someone who’s seen it all.
Trash is nothing like the New York Dolls number of the same name, but it prowls around dark corners with its hackles raised. There’s a whiff of early Replacements in the likes of Six and Brainfreeze, but ultimately it’s Bognanno’s lyrics and delivery that steal the show. Well worth checking out.
BY PAUL MCBRIDE
