"bonner’s been around for a while, fronting bands and touring, and his experience shows in this collection of thickly textured and engaging songs, evoking sting, robbie robertson and peter gabriel. signs of passing opens with an infectious giggle that belies the serious-minded artist waiting just around the corner of the first verse, but also keeps bonner’s music in context, never allowing it to take itself too seriously. the occasional peppering of hip-hop helps with this as well, finding bonner switching between a shawn mullins-style grumble and a nasal eminem rant in “turning of the stone.” bonner is at his finest creating lush and brooding soundscapes. he talks, howls and whispers his way through 12 singularly accomplished songs."
-clay steakley, performing songwriter

"i'm a lover of sting, jackson browne and that sort of laid-back, dave matthews-style, thinking-person's rock. matt bonner brings us that and more in his indie CD release, signs of passing. his lyrics are heartfelt and tell stories of longing, self-revelations and signs of the times. the hit comes in track nine, "turning of the stone", where i jumped up, thinking my CD player had changed discs over to eminem's latest. out of nowhere, bonner heads into a sort of rebellion-like fatalistic and frustrated kid rock/eminem rap song. he shows a side of himself that most of us have but never reveal. he has a sensitive side, full of frustration, doubt, hope and love, in his compilation of tunes. and then, just like our personalities in real life, bonner shows emotion that at times hits all of us. musical quality and great vocals, combined with a variety of sounds from song to song, make this CD very intriguing and a definite standout hit."
-carol anne szel, the inside connection

"the production quality on singer/songwriter/keyboardist matt bonner's signs of passing is an order of magnitude higher than most indie releases, which means that casual listeners might be tempted to write off his mid-tempo, ethereal efforts as mere ear-candy. not that there's anything wrong with accepting this as a collection of enjoyable polished sounds, except that to do so misses the point rather widely. bonner is as committed to writing and publishing prose as he is to writing and recording music, which gives him a facility with language that provides depth to his music even when the surface is calm. cryptic imagery, clever word play and effective narrative are found throughout the disc, making it a fine candidate for repeated headphone sessions. that same effort to attend to the language will reap rewards as new levels and layers of musical depth are revealed as well. bonner's production efforts were augmented by joe capps' recording and mixing skills. capps also contributes what seems to be exactly the right guitar passage in exactly the right place over and over again. this is the kind of album that makes people passing by say "gee, that sounds nice," but there's far more hear than initially meets the ear."
-shaun dale, cosmik debris magazine

"smart, funny, mystical and cynical, matt bonner would seem to be a living yin and yang. on this cd, his vocals and keyboard work often present a high, airy, spiritual contrast to the grittier, rawer rhythm elements. dreamy vocals by bonner and becky morrison mccaffrey are in a different realm than the darkly comic hip-hop of jack tanner, yet they coexist beautifully....with influences from robert frost to radiohead to bjork and suzanne vega, signs of passing is an eclectic mélange of contemporary influences....the sonic presentation is super-clean....it's well worth a listen."
-seven days newspaper, burlington, vermont

"step aside sting, U2 and DMB, you've been resting on your laurels and biz connections for far too long. it's time to make room for an unknown indie artist who has been newly cast into the same caliber of musical excellence. breathing into his personal brand of music the same freshness as contemporaries radiohead and beck, matt bonner amalgamates genres of jazz, alt-rock and hip-hop into a likeable form that emotes across the spectrum from mystery to irreverence. bonner, as writer and producer, is the captain of this project, and master of channeling into the ethereal. the sinuous "reveal" is defined by taut but yearning multitracked vocals laid upon a steamy undulating drone. "saving grace" is powered by a goosepimpling harmony with cory sipper. great stuff."
-alan fark, minor7th.com

"i see big things for matt if he stays true to his music. there are a lot of qualities that make this album more than worth the while. i highly recommend this album to artistic pop music fans that have had a little too much of the bubble gum stuff. this is certainly a step in the right direction for pop music."
production quality: 5/5
-michael allison, musicdish.com

"there is substance beneath the glitter on top....the lyrics are insightful and occasionally haunting....[bonner's] certainly got something to say. worth a spin."
-aiding & abetting

"it's always nice, when reviewing a pile of discs, to run across one that simply defies easy description....it is that very escape from genre which makes it such a treat to listen to....matt bonner has forged a unique sound."
-IMPACT press

"matt bonner is totally and absolutely out of place in today's indie music world - in a good way. on his latest full-length release, signs of passing, he proves himself a mature and confident artist, charging ahead with highly polished music seemingly influenced by everything from hip hop to sting to everlast. that said, despite occasionally obvious influences, bonner's music remains unique and difficult to categorize in a few short words. just when I was ready to him shelve him under "adult contemporary" (mainly due to the uncanny similarity between his voice and sting's, especially in the higher octaves), bonner threw me with clever raps on "tripwire" and "turning of the stone," a highly-charged track that seems to parody everything from international politics to the perils of the music industry. the next track,"gate," is an abrupt, 180-degree switch into acoustic guitars and drifting vocals....bonner is an incredibly talented and intensely creative individual and the obvious enthusiasm he has for his music shines through. when it comes to indie pop, he is in a league of his own."
-gary smith, delusions of adequacy reviews

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