Single Review

Mary Bue – Bedding Down With The Deer – Single Review

Singer/songwriter, yogi and International Retreat Guide Mary Bue finds solace and safety by Bedding Down With The Deer โ€“ her 3rd single from forthcoming album, The Wildness Of Living And Dying

Release Date:  15th November 2024

Label: Self Release

Formats: Digital


CONFRONTING TRAUMA

Bedding Down With The Deer is the third single to preview The Wildness of Living and Dying, the forthcoming album from Minneapolis singer, songwriter, yogi and International Retreat Guide, Mary Bue.  The album, scheduled for release in February 2025, features songs that Mary wrote to help her deal with the fallout from a carjacking of which she was the victim, back in 2020 and deals with issues of trauma, uncertainty, compassion and healing with music.  With previous single, Right Now, Mary took a look at a range of scenarios that are certain to be taking place in the world at any given time โ€“ the movement of seasons, the flight of geese, the decay of flowers, birth, death, sex, drugs, rock & roll and the desire, as she sings in the song โ€œโ€ฆto stand alone amongst the tall pinesโ€ all get a mention.

With Bedding Down With The Deer, Mary shifts her attention to confronting trauma by finding a sanctuary away from the bright lights of the city and the predatory antics of its inhabitants by finding strength and empowerment in the company of her Cervidae friends.  As she explains: โ€œI feel safer with the deer, safer than in my own damn bed.โ€

Album #9

Wildnessโ€ฆ will be Maryโ€™s 9th album in a career that has earned her widespread recognition across North America; over the years, sheโ€™s been awarded multiple Artist Residences including The Helene Wurlitzer Foundation of New Mexico, โ€œEscape to Createโ€ Artist in Residence at The Seaside Institute in Seaside, Florida and Big Cypress Nature Preserve Artist in Residence in Ochopee, Florida.  Her non-musical interests have seen her visiting Rishikesh and The Nada Yoga School.


Mary Bue [pic: Ilia Stockert]

On Wildnessโ€ฆ, Maryโ€™s vocals and piano are fleshed out by contributions from Jeremy Ylvisaker on guitar, Steve Price on bass, Richard Medek on drums, Shannon Frid-Rubin on violin and Julia Floberg on cello and the result, at least as far as Bedding Down With the Deer is concerned, is a rich, dreamy โ€“ sometimes spacey โ€“ ambience that sits comfortably alongside the emotions that Mary expresses. 

two songs in one

You could almost suggest that Bedding Down With The Deer is, in fact, two songs in one.  The first, in which Maryโ€™s voice takes on a mocking โ€“ almost sleazy โ€“ tone is accompanied by Maryโ€™s piano, an insistent drumbeat and spooky background sounds.  Itโ€™s here that she recognizes that those around her seem determined to frustrate and entrap her.  For the second half of the song, after Mary realizes that โ€œI feel safer with the deer than with the lights of the city,โ€ the tones are softer and mellower. The harsher piano and drum sounds are replaced by gently strummed guitar and sweet vocal harmonies โ€“ wholly reflective of the feelings of comfort and safety that Mary has achieved as she accepts the friendship and protection of her non-human allies.

As a taster for the forthcoming album, Bedding Down With The Deer has done its job.  The Wildness Of Living And Dying is an album that we intend to investigate in far more detail.  Keep an eye on these pagesโ€ฆ


Watch the official video to Right Now – the second of the three singles to be taken form the forthcoming Mary Bue album, The Wildness Of Living And Dying, here:


Mary Bue online: Official Website / Facebook / Instagram / TikTok / YouTube / Bandcamp

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