Megan Bonnell
Magnolia
Album · Contemporary Folk · 2016
Filled with wide-eyed wonder and breathy harmony, Magnolia is a gorgeous leap forward for the Toronto-based singer/songwriter. Bonnell can push boundaries (as on the whisper-to-a-roar roller coaster of “Chameleon”) or coo a deceptively simple, melancholy folk song like “Broken Hearted Avenue”. But the heart of the album lies in the layered acoustic guitars and analog warmth of tracks like “Can’t Have You” and “You Are the One”, where she channels the spirited rebelliousness and fierce independence of ‘70s Joni Mitchell.