From its inception, goth has been defined by its captivating allure. This potent blend of mystery, darkness, and theatricality often emphasizes themes of romance and loss. The genre has stereotypical visuals, complete with its signature black attire, dyed hair, and pale makeup. That aesthetic amplifies the lovelorn lyrics, creating an atmosphere as emotionally charged as it is visually striking. Yet, beyond its haunting exterior, goth invites you to delve into the depths of human emotion, no matter how sorrowful, bleak, or macabre they may be. Mourning You, the second album from Bonnie Trash, exemplifies this ethos, weaving together the spectral and the sincere in a profound exploration of grief.
Founded in 2013 by twin sisters Sarafina and Emmalia Bortolon-Vetor, Bonnie Trash has earned recognition for its distinctive ability to weave visceral narratives through a tapestry of distortion and theater. While their debut album, Malocchio, embraced a post-punk sensibility that evoked comparisons to Joy Division and The Jesus and Mary Chain, Mourning You ventures into heavier territory. The reverb and sonic chaos of their earlier work has been replaced by drier acoustics and a more refined production. However, this transition doesn’t feel like a marketing tactic, but a deliberate re-imagining of their approach.
Bonnie Trash remains both innovative and true to their distinctive artistic voice.
“Grief” introduces the album, an instrumental delivering the tension of a classic horror film. A pulsating static fuzz, jarring feedback, and a brooding atmosphere provide an unsettling tone. As a leitmotif for the album’s central exploration of loss and mourning, the track subtly signals that this journey into the gothic realm diverges from the conventions of horror-punk. Instead, it forges a path that is introspective and profoundly atmospheric.
“Veil of Greed” begins with a discordant dirge before evolving into a chunky metallic groove not unlike Siouxsie and The Banshees. While the vocal performance is confident and commanding, it evinces an underlying sense of frailty. The following track, “My Love Remains The Same,” goes a step further with those sonic ideas. It’s here when the record’s themes of loss and grief snap firmly into place.
Mourning You is less about theatrics and more about the personal and poignant.
Many goth acts miss the point by placing too much emphasis on visuals. It’s nice to see an artist like Bonnie Trash actually express themselves rather than adhering to tropes. Bangers like “Hellmouth” and “Haunt Me” anchor the album in the alternative-metal sensibilities most love about goth as a musical genre. However, I connected with the subtle moments of aforementioned vulnerability.
I don’t know much about the personal lives of the sisters Sarafina and Emmalia, but this record oozes with emotional experiences. You can almost feel their heartache at the end of every line. Even at the record’s most aggressive, it sounds as if it’s coming from a broken yet still beating heart instead of relying merely on aesthetics.
Bonnie Trash constructed an album of haunting exploration, sorrowful beauty, and empathetic catharsis.
By blending ethereal atmosphere and heartfelt vulnerability, Mourning You extend beyond being a collection of songs for your gothic fix. It is a listening experience that will resonates with anyone who has lost someone and doesn’t know where to go next or how to move on. Whether in the throes of mourning or emerging on the other side, Bonnie Trash captures the complexity of the human condition with remarkable insight. And while the finality of death may be unsettling to some, the album reveals that, within grief, you can find a quiet, bittersweet beauty.
Mourning You is available on vinyl, download, and streaming at Hand Drawn Dracula.