Nothing matches my excitement for a split 7″. Everybody loves a good buy-one-get-one deal but when it comes to indie music, it’s just that much better. When I heard Greenway Records was putting out a split featuring Stuyedeyed and BIRDS, it was like Christmas again! Not only am I a big fan of Greenway’s knack for garage rock, but both bands are some of Brooklyn’s finest! Getting these two acts together was a no-brainer and a shoe-in for my Record Of The Day!
While both acts dabble in psychedelic sounds, they tackle it in different ways.
On “Believer”, Stuyedeyed takes a retro approach. By combining tongue-in-cheek aggressive lyrics with layers of surf guitar, droning bass, and an emphasis on tension. For its entire runtime, “Believer” feels like it’s leading up to something that may or may not even happen. It keeps you guessing where it’s going next as if The Black Angels came from the era they insist influences them. This is a band who proves psyche can be weird but still fun.
BIRDS’ approach to psyche-rock in “Most Ghost” couldn’t be more different than Stuyedeyed’s. Instead of the aforementioned tension, BIRDS rely on the groove. A medium tempo rhythm section and wall of bendy guitars on top reverb-soaked vocals gives the song more of a shoegaze feel. Just like their album of 2017, BIRDS bring an unexpected layer of beauty to the noise genre most bands seem to neglect.
Despite the different approach, Stuyedeyed and BIRDS showcase an unspoken diversity in a genre some feel is repetitive.
While Greenway Records doesn’t drop psyche oriented releases exclusively, they’ve become a go-to label for some of the best in the genre. Hearing these two bands take different paths to the same destination is a direct extension of what Greenway does for the vinyl-only label market but indie music as well.
Just as most of their releases, the Stuyedeyed / BIRDS split is available in very limited quantities and once it’s gone, it’s gone. With a release this diverse in only two songs, I don’t see it sticking around very long. Get on it!
To order the Stuyedeyed / BIRDS Split, please visit Greenway Records.
