Review: Amy Bezunartea – New Villain

Amy Bezunartea
New Villain

Kiam
Street: 09.25
Amy Bezunartea = Marc Pinansky + The Milk Carton Kids

When your musical preferences tend to err towards indie, female singer/songwriters, it’s easy to feel like you’ve come full circle in terms of original sound. You know what I’m talking about—soft vocals, melodic acoustic guitars, the occasional full-band climax and easy lyrics. Amy Bezunartea is not one of those artists. Sure, there are acoustic guitars and female vocals, but that’s where the similarities end. True to the album’s name, Bezunartea establishes herself as an emotive force to be reckoned with. Harnessing powerful feelings of discomfort, nonconformity and honesty, she creates a musical atmosphere that is as uncomfortable as it is reassuring. It forces the listener to come to terms with their own feelings of worthlessness in society, while also inspiring them to rebel against whatever makes them feel inadequate. It is these elements—uncommonly found in indie music—that set Bezunartea apart from most of her fellow female indie artists. –Allison Shephard