Birmingham, Alabama crooner Scott Bondy has endured something of a struggle to get to his current position as a loosely known folker riding the wave of his first two albums with mild success. Performing under his stage name, A.A. Bondy (which, as NPR’s Stephen Thompson points out, smacks him right to the top of every Itunes alphabetical playlist), he’s worked hard to craft a sound that’s as original as it is heartwarmingly familiar. It’s been two years now since Bondy’s second full length, When the Devil’s Loose, was released, and he’s back in time to welcome the 2011 fall with his new full length, Believers:

The new LP evokes quite a different mood, as well as a different place in life and time for Bondy from his last two releases; with lush textures and electric guitars flanged softly in the background, it’s more akin to a twangy, alternative mountain rock album like Wilco’s Summerteeth. In this regard, lovers of the smooth, near-heroin-induced relaxation that Jeff Tweedy achieves as part of Wilco will definitely find something to revere in Believers.

The reasoning behind Bondy’s shift away from the stripped down acoustica of old may be credited to the fact that the music world has changed a lot since 2007—a year that saw raw singer-songwriter energy flourish—and as a result the lavish vibes found on Believers are allowed to progress almost as beautifully as the alt. folk scene itself in the last five years.

Believers isn’t set to release in the U.S for another two days (Sept. 13), but if you want a glimpse (or more) of what we’re in for, the entire album is streaming on the NPR website.

In the meantime, here’s “Vice Rag” from A.A. Bondy’s 2007 release, American Hearts:

A.A. Bondy - Vice Rag

-Andy Valentine, Sept. 11, 2011

*Our thoughts are with all who have endured anguish as a result of the attacks ten years ago today.*