Atwood Magazine's Weekly Recap: April 1, 2025

      Every Friday, the team at Atwood Magazine shares what they've been listening to throughout the week—a song, an album, or an artist that has made an impression on them in that moment. This week's compilation includes tracks from mary in the junkyard, Bonnie Medicine, Portraitures, Ben L’Oncle Soul & Adi Oasis, Heather Mae, Tean Dream, Frank Viele, SIG SALI, Wryn, Avery Lynch, Kairvina, Fred Brown, Bottle Rockets, JonoJono, The Tempted, Grace Morrison, Binoy, Quentyn, biz barclay., and Indieclimb!

      •• •• •• ••

      Follow WEEKLY ROUNDUP on Spotify

      •• ••

      **Atwood Magazine's Women's History Month Series**

      :: “bear walk” – mary in the junkyard ::

      Mitch Mosk, Beacon, New York

      Mary in the junkyard’s latest single evokes a powerful and, for me, inescapable emotional reaction. It sends chills down the spine and flips the stomach, generating an intense warmth within, followed by stunned silence. The last time I encountered something this genuine was back in 2008 or '09, hearing Bon Iver’s “Flume” for the first time.

      “bear walk” is a tender, hauntingly exquisite indie folk piece that resonates with themes of love and loss, departure, and yearning. The London-based band narrates a sorrowful tale that showcases a delicate display of tenderness as a dramatic form of expression, where the unsaid words echo the strongest in their breathtaking performance.

      In the fir tree days

      I was on your back

      I had no shoes back then,

      you picked up the slack

      and spirit guides were

      pulling me limb from limb

      i said a prayer for you

      so you wanted to stay

      We would eat the birds

      we caught that evening

      in the wild days

      “‘bear walk’ is about someone trying to keep their lover amidst a wild lifestyle,” the band tells Atwood Magazine. “It touches on the tension between wildness and normativity, stemming from our acoustic gigs over the summer.”

      The trio—Clari Freeman-Taylor (vocals, guitar), Saya Barbaglia (bass, viola), and David Addison (drums)—began as a folk project before transitioning into indie and alternative rock, releasing their emotionally charged debut single “Tuesday” in late 2023, followed by their first EP, *this old house*, in spring 2024. Stripped to acoustic instrumentation, “bear walk” spotlights Freeman-Taylor’s storytelling and vocal prowess with striking clarity.

      And in the night time

      we sat by the fireside

      nothing to think of

      but i want to survive

      and spirit guides were

      all kept on the insides

      they carved their symbols

      into my eyes

      they told me you were

      leaving in my dreaming

      i thought that i had time

      The result is a hauntingly beautiful composition that connects us not only with the band but also with ourselves as they explore the unruly aspects of our souls and the fleeting nature of people in our lives. “bear walk” serves as a tender homage to simpler times; its gentle melody is infused with a love that feels profound. Yet, it bears the weight of sorrow; a contemplative rawness that the narrator struggles to reconcile. It’s a vital and cathartic expression, both for the creators and the listeners.

      I still don’t quite understand what a bear walk is—I’ll probably look it up soon—but I do grasp its symbolic meaning, and I feel it resonate deeply within as I listen.

      but you left that day

      with a big suitcase

      just like a city boy

      I made a disgusted face

      and spirit guides were

      all going silent

      i hoped the dirt would stay

      under your fingernails

      I hope that there are trees

      outside your window

      I hope you come back some day

      :: Belonging EP – Bonnie Medicine ::

      Danielle Holian, Galway, Ireland

      Bonnie Medicine, the Scottish singer-songwriter whose music entwines the sacred rhythms of the earth with the heartbeat of humanity, has released her long-awaited EP, *Belonging*. Deeply rooted in her Celtic heritage, Medicine’s music embodies a dedication to collective healing, spiritual awakening, and social justice. Over the past seven years, she has been sharing evocative songs across stages and ceremonies worldwide, using music as a conduit to elevate human consciousness. *Belonging* comprises songs that reflect Medicine’s distinctive fusion of New Age, acoustic folk, and spiritual music, inviting healing, unity, and reconnection with the earth and one another.

      The lead single “We Belong” is a powerful tribute to connection, community, and the land, harmonizing with the longing for unity during a time of widespread estrangement. It’s an anthem that draws us back