Bon Voyage is a soft, fragile dream pop band from the bright land of Orange County California. Most listeners may hear musical similarities in the styles of Bon Voyage and Starflyer 59, which makes sense seeing as Bon Voyage is the collaboration of Starflyer's Jason Martin, his wife Julie (formerly a vocalist in Havalina Rail Co.) and bassist Travis Zimmerman. The Right Amount is Bon Voyage's second full length release, following their 1998 BEC records self titled full length debut.
Unfitting as it may be, the band Bon Voyage may never fully break free of the "side project" label. Jason Martin of Starflyer 59 and his wife Julie make a formidable musical team, and the comparisons to Starflyer are both complimentary and unfortunate. While Jason's distinct guitar and lyric-writing style are apparent on this recording, Julie's vocals and the occasional addition of Joy Electric's Ronnie Martin on synthesizers make Bon Voyage have a dreamier feel not found on most of Jason's other works, and it seems that the juicy sweetness of Martin's reverb and echo have the perfect niche when mixed with Julie's light and sugary singing style.
The songs on The Right Amount are not the same as that complex and indefinable sound produced by Starflyer 59. With songs like "Never Coming Back" and "The Telephone," Bon Voyage has put together radio friendly sing along songs for everyone to either enjoy outright or at least list as a guilty pleasure. The music in "Dressed in White" and "The Third Marie" make The Right Amount one of the best girl-pop albums to play in the car since Morella's Forest's From Dayton With Love.
Those unfamiliar with Bon Voyage's 1998 self-titled debut may find this album a fine introduction to a darkly quirky and fun pop band, while huge fans of the band will find the album a reward for the patience of waiting four years to hear Julie's melancholic soft vocals in front of the Martin bros. beautifully crafted music. However, there are points in The Right Amount where one wonders if the songs end, a sort of seamlessness that starts out interesting and enjoyable but soon turns into the same melancholy found in the music itself. This album is in no way a pick-me-up, which is at once unfortunate and expected from Jason Martin and crew. Like the album cover suggests, the music of Bon Voyage is at once darkly formless and incandescently soft. To some, the music may be as empty and disparaging as the liner notes. To others it may seem as beautiful and intriguing as the pure black found in the art work.
B-
Other coverage for this album
HM Magazine #99Reviewed by Lonny HurleyIf Morrissey was a girl (Is he? No one knows for sure . . . only Johnny Marr), this is what the Smiths would have turned into. Maybe Meat is Murder, but it's not Louder Than the Bombs. This feel-good album (that makes this cold heart even colder and scares off the bad boys with leather jackets) helps me concentrate on the simpler things in life. Keep your head above the water, friends, and your…The Phantom Tollbooth 2002Reviewed by Matt ModrichFour years after Bon Voyage's self-titled debut, the husband-wife duo of Jason and Julie Martin are back with The Right Amount. The new album has just as much pop as before, but will probably not be banned in any Christian bookstores for its lyrics like the first record was. Songs like "Right Amount," "Never Coming Back," "Dressed in White," "Telephone" and "Be What I Need" are simply addictive.…Similar sounding releases
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1999Starflyer 59Everybody Makes Mistakes
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