by Tom Demalon
Classically trained violinist Tracy Bonham emerged from Boston with her first major-label release, The Burdens of Being Upright. The album yielded a significant radio hit with the seething message &Mother Mother,& which leads off the album. It raises the bar for the rest of the record and, although she doesn't quite match it, The Burdens of Being Upright is a riveting introduction. Bonham and bandmates tear through tracks like &Navy Bean& and &Bulldog& with energetic punk abandon. Bonham's lyrics are intelligent and her voice is powerful, sounding eerily like Liz Phair on songs like &Kisses,& &Sharks Can't Sleep,& and &Every Breath.&