Bird – #2
self-released 2009
[tags: acoustic, folk, 2009]
Listen while reading:
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I’m glad I found the perfect band to post about after yesterday’s article on Slow Six’ new album. Why is that so? Simply because Bird cuts the electronic influences and the post rock but keeps the string arrangements and the orchestral character and adds some folksy atmosphere to them. Bird are Bardt, Jak and Janne from Eindhoven, Netherlands and they started making music back in 2008. Since then they self-released their debut, a 10’’ with the name Before We Go, and later in 2009 their second output, left untitled. But to simplify things they call this collection of home recordings #2. Reading sentences like the following, makes clear, that they are just the right band you want to discover today (from their bio): “Bird follows its own musical ambitions; Making records DIY style and playing at places where the music, in its most basic acoustic and storytelling form, still is appreciated.” That’s the spirit.
I just name the instruments and you know, you’ll like the music: violin, acoustic guitar, cello and bass. Voilà, the perfect mix. I would say their sound can be described as a mixture of Brown Bird and South China (the band…). Folk elements are delivered by acoustic guitar and very listenable tones of voices combined with a melancholy mood inherit in all songs, and South China elements through the very present strings – and believe me, the strings are gorgeous and you will fall in love with them. Anyhow, it is a funny business that acoustic guitar, cello and violin harmonize in such a great way and I’m not only speaking about this release now. I think contemporary acoustic folk is defined by the combination of those instruments (well, I see that this is too generic, but if you listen to lots of folk music you’ll get this feeling too, I think). But this was more of a randome note here…
Another feature that #2 has in common with South China’s debut Washingtons is a subjective one. I’m speaking of the instrumental track The Fixer. I wrote about Washingtons’ instrumentals that they are the best tracks on the album for they carry nothing but pure feeling in them. And I will say this again about the instrumentals you find on #2, especially concerning The Fixer. It is quite an outstanding track and shows all the finess the band has to offer when it comes to perfect songwriting. This tune really catched me. The other tracks do as well, I just want to point this out, but The Fixer is so damn beautiful and full of emotions…I don’t know what to say, just listen to it for yourself.
In the end there is really nothing one could say against this little album of collected home recordings. The recording quality is fine, the sound is clear and all of the tracks show, that this band got massive potential to put in forthcoming releases. Alone the fact, that they managed to record tracks that range from sad instrumentals (The Fixer and SSC) over more forward orientated folk ballads (About) to folk songs focusing rather on acoustic guitar and vocals (Softly Moaning World) shows the enthusiasm they laid into their music. And this should be highly regarded by every lover of honest acoustic folk music.
If the songs and my words made you crazy about possessing the records, you just have to send some lines directly to the band to order them. You can do so by visiting Bird’s MySpace site and writing them a personal message or using the e-mail adress postet on the left side of the profile. Let’s hope that Bird’s wings are strong enough to fly right into your hearts.
Nice, very nice.