Perhaps I’m in the minority here, but I’m of the opinion that the clichéd phrase “one-hit wonder” is an overused and easily abused phrase, one far too often assigned to artists who are undeserving of such a dubious qualifier. It’s also emblematic of the average music consumer’s (and more than a few journalists’) lazy complacency in seeking out the fuller breadth of artists’ discographies, beyond what they’ve been force-fed, spin after spin after spin, on the radio or, at least back in the day, MTV.
Unfortunately, too many artists’ recording careers haven’t received the recognition and appreciation they arguably deserve because of this one-hit-wonder engendered myopia. A prime example is Edie Brickell, who, with her Dallas-bred band New Bohemians, struck gold back in late 1988 with their lyrically and sonically unconventional debut single “What I Am.” The album from which it came, Shooting Rubberbands at the Stars, received plenty of critical applause on its way to reaching double-platinum commercial heights, largely as a result of its ubiquitous single’s warm reception.
However, three-and-a-half decades later, Brickell and her bandmates (drummer Brandon Aly, percussionist John Bush, bass guitarist Brad Houser—who passed away last month at the age of 62—and guitarist Kenny Withrow) are still rigidly associated with that one song by far too many folks. But for those of us who weren’t merely satisfied with “What I Am” and instead used it as fodder to dig deeper into the group’s debut album—and subsequent recordings including 1990’s excellent Ghost of a Dog and 2006’s Stranger Things, as well as Brickell’s solo fare (1994’s Picture Perfect Morning, 2003’s Volcano, and 2011’s eponymous Edie Brickell)—the rewards have been plentiful.
Originally formed in the early ‘80s, New Bohemians cut their performing chops primarily in the clubs of Dallas’ famed Deep Ellum neighborhood during the middle of the decade. Signed to Geffen Records within a few years’ time, the band recorded their debut long player at the famed Rockfield Studios in Wales with the guidance of the late Pat Moran, who counted albums for rock luminaries such as Iggy Pop, Queen, Robert Plant, and Rush among his production and sound engineering credentials. In describing the recording sessions’ organic stimuli, Brickell told the New York Times in November 1988, “A lot of the time, we don't have any ideas at all and start with a really silly image, like biscuits or paper plates, to see how it goes. When we come up with a melody we all like, we blend it all together and somehow a song naturally arrives.” From: https://albumism.com/features/edie-brickell-and-new-bohemians-shooting-rubberbands-at-the-stars-album-anniversary
