Tuesday 22 April 2008

You take envelopes I collect like a bowerbird...


I first came across Bowerbirds from a review on Pitchfork, and added it to my Excel list I keep (as should most people of course) of bands for me to investigate. I downloaded a few of their songs from various blogs, and listened to them for a while, not quite sure if I liked them enough for me to buy. But then the more immediate sounding of the songs, In Our Talons kept making me 'dee dee dee' along. & then I realised I was also quite enjoying the other more laid-back songs I had of theirs: My Oldest Memory, Dark Horse, The Marbled Godwit, and Olive Hearts. After this realisation of love I decided to buy their album, Hymns For A Dark Horse, from their website. & as often is the case for cds from America, it was a bargainous price- £7.11 says my other Excel spreedsheet...

Anyway. The album was brilliant, and all of their songs amazed me with their continued depths of nicenessness. My Oldest Memory became my favourite song from the album, but it could have easily been any from four or five others. They don't have the traditional listening bit on their myspace, but they have their own music player where you can hear some of their songs on their own website or on their myspace too.

I probably would have waited a while before posting about this band- more keen with even newer bands to sing about- but came across their recent performances on Blogotheqe. Seeing them sing Bur Oaks in that cramped shop is a joy to see (and hear). Then being even more cramped in the back of a driving vehicle thing for Dark Horse, playing The Ticonderoga beautifully on the roadside as people just walk and drive by, and then ending with the positively upbeat sounding song In Our Talons.


So yes. I love these guys. Go to their website to buy their album. Or you can wait for it to be given a wider release to the American label Dead Oceans this Spring, which will have a bonus two tracks. But surely it's more fun to just buy it directly from the band now? & their ep. Yes, i forgot to mention their ep, Danger At Sea, which has original versions of about half of the songs that were to be later given even more love and attention on the album.

& just as I was about to finally end this post, I thought I'd check youtube for any videos, and found this woodside rendition of My Oldest Memory there:

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