Over the past decade, it felt like rock n roll has become the black sheep of the mainstream. While hip-hop is found on every station and pop has become its own genre, rock has been absent in the mainstream. Of course, this means it’s the golden age in the underground! Away from the glitz and glamour of MTV and IHeartRadio, are the real bands. The acts who record what they want and how they want. On this particular article I want to talk about Birds and their latest LP Everything All At Once.
Noise Rock is now the definition of Rock n Roll and Birds are writing the dictionary.
From the streets of Brooklyn to the noisy home-studios Birds have crafted a distinctive flavor of noise that’ll satisfy any fan of garage rock. The foursome offer up all the prime ingredients of a psychedelic buffet. Fuzzy bass, other worldly guitar, and a deliciously aggressive rhythm section will scratch all the right itches. But there’s something that sets Birds apart from many other bands in the noise rock circuit. They deliver noise without neglecting melody.
Everything All At Once rips through its eight tracks at a feverish pace, slowing down for only one song. With such a short track listing, one would think the songs are long, droning dirges. And while there are plenty of elements of stoner-rock, most of the tracks feature a Gish-era Smashing Pumpkins vibe. The vocals are layered with reverb but never get muddled up with the guitar like typical recordings in this genre.
Despite being chaotic and atmospheric, Everything All At Once maintains it’s knack for fun.
With no shortage of psychedelic rock bands across the world, it’s refreshing to hear a band deliver an album that’s just as fun and it is noisy. “Get Away” has a Jesus and Marychain quality about it with male/female vocal layering and 60s pop sensibility. Another standout track is “Falling”, the sweetest love song I’ve ever heard on a psyche-rock album. The sonic ambitions don’t stop there either. “Everyday” has an almost surf feeling with it’s shuffling drums, and the closing track “Slow Time” tips its toes in shoegazing territory.
Everything All At Once is available on Greenway Records in a sick splatter (as that label is known for) as well as a cassette + digital download in limited quantities. No matter what format you decide to dive into, Birds’ Everything All At Once will be the most fun you can have listening to a noise-rock outfit this fall.
For more information on Birds, please visit them on Facebook
To purchase Everything All At Once on limited edition vinyl or cassette + download, head over to Greenway Records
Aaron, if ‘shoegaze’ floats your boat I urge you to search out the first album from Puget Sound’s WINDBURIAL or their previous incarnation as ‘Snowdrift’ – featuring lead vocals by Ms. Kay Terran. Mezmerizing!
Correcting a typo: it should read Ms. Kat Terran