This must’ve been what A.A. Bondy has been aiming for all along. He’s upgraded his folksy/americana sound into something profoundly unique.

His earnest guitar/voice combo is still there, but now it’s bathed in soft reverb, awash with stark melodies and superb sonic touches. I think he’s trying to hypnotize me. The lyrics - cryptic and subconscious - are full of vivid imagery that’s dark, naturalistic, heavy, romantic, deathly, and mesmerizing…all so subtly dissimilar from the typical warm music.

And that’s how he does it.

From brooding to sentimental, Bondy’s a wondering, wandering, master of mood.

Seriously. It’s so specific with its mood and powerfully possessive of my ears/mind I could write a screenplay with Believers serving as its soundtrack.

So I did.

…

Kate and I had been off for quite sometime. We needed each other, but perhaps we wanted more. As I walked her home, she heard something from behind the barn. Just a bit further into the woods where her father was buried. He loved those woods…

<Press play now…>

1. “The Heart Is Willing” - I don’t know how to explain it. What we saw was as mesmerizing as it was absurd. A circus-like concert filled with all of the Lord’s creatures dancing with one another. Cats with monkeys. Tigers with bears. Acrobatics were performed and clowns laid on the ground laughing with one another. A performer on the main stage with barely a light on him looked down at us both menacing and inviting.
2. “Down In The Fire (Lost Sea)” - We were talking with him the next day. Sharing laughs of this joyous carnival picnic and taking turns damning society for evolving far from its origins. Time was not a factor here. Kate played in the sunshine and l ran through the grassy hills. When he asked if we’d join them, Kate laughed, “We thought we already had.” I agreed, “We are home, wherever that may be.” That night, Kate’s father reappeared in my dream, but I can’t remember much. I awoke and we began our voyage.
3. “Skull & Bones” - He is high up warning us of something. Something was being passed around. Something skeletal and sacrificial, I believe. I see nothing, but hear Him. All the people and creatures around begin doing a solemn dance. We quickly take to it and learn their observances. When we open our eyes, we are in a new place altogether. A sign reads Dupuy Street. Kate smiles. I hold her tight.
4. “123 Dupuy Street” - I don’t know how long I was out, but Kate’s father reappeared in consecutive dreams. He’s sad or frustrated or angry. I could truly never tell, even when he was alive. He pleaded at the end. “Take care of her.” Probably just a memory of his cancerous deathbed. Then I woke up.
5. “Surfer King” - Things were just as lovely as before, if not more so. Kate was playing some form of hide-and-seek with the clowns as the monkey captivated me with his tricks. A old man called ‘King’ played an old tune on the guitar and we all sang along. They were all impressed by Kate’s crooning. Later on, I kissed her in the shade and I felt assurance I that couldn’t recall.
6. “Hiway / Fevers” - Quite a bit of time must have passed. I had a beard and was quickly forgetting our previous lives. Though Kate was pleasant as usual, I was beginning to feel a certain cabin-like fever. Paranoia was seeping into paradise. But I wouldn’t tell Kate. When she would ask, I’d look deep into her chocolate eyes, grab ahold of her and begin a slow dance. It began to happen so often I questioned the difference in a dance and a trance. Some of the creatures seemed to take notice as I caught their glances just beyond Kate’s dark hair.
7. “Drmz” - I put it out of my mind soon enough. As long as my arms could feel Kate, my mind could feel ease. We closed our eyes and her father just looked at me.
8. “The Twist” - The music stopped. The creatures were lining up to attack. Kate grabbed me tight. Tigers tried to restrain their low growls as He began leading us to battle. Some townspeople fled. Others fought back. Even the tamest of creatures turned vicious. An elephant mashed a man’s cranium into the sidewalk. The monkey bit off fingers whole, while clowns performed gratuitous acts with their props. The street lamps displayed blood everywhere. I pummeled a man senseless with a brick when he charged Kate. I grabbed her hand and we fled to the woods.
9. “Rte. 28 / Believers” - What the hell just happened? I killed a man. My blood was rushing and my eyes were lit in shock. Kate didn’t seem that frightened by it. In fact, I could tell she never truly wanted to leave. Perhaps she was still caught up in it. Perhaps she wanted Him. We got to a safer place far enough away and rested. I tried to explain why we couldn’t return to paradise. She seemed to silently understand as she rubbed her hands over my cuts and bruises. In the night, I couldn’t see her chocolate eyes. She just grabbed a tight hold of me enough to silence my fears.
10. “Scenes from a Circus” - I had a deeper sleep that night than all my time with the circus. I felt peace. I felt like I was ascending. Images of school flashed in my mind like a slow projector. Like our time in the woods was the real dream. A bittersweet one where ideals became nightmares that swirled amidst reality. This time, I wished Kate’s father was there, but he wasn’t. And in the morning, neither was she.

End Credits.