Electro-pop band, The Birdman Rallies, is due to release the fourth full album, ‘Real River’ in early February. Kicking off the album, the first track, ‘Dissolve Into The Black’, is in keeping with the band’s electronic vibe with the opening drum beats and going into an almost 80s feel when synthesizers come in.
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Then, frontman Daniel Webster’s vocals cut through the instruments in such a clear way, you can’t help but pay attention to the expressive flairs on the chorus. Towards the end of the song, it moves away from the poppy chorus, and moves into quite a stirring outro, using a mixture of strings, from violin to acoustic guitar, to create this pleasing end to the song.
Moving through the album you come across songs like ‘Vampire’. This one draws you in immediately with muffled voices over an acoustic guitar, then Daniel’s vocals come in, sounding remarkably full of reverb, creating an unusual mysterious, mystical sensation, fitting very well with the title of the song. The guitar impresses with delicate rises and falls in the main riff, and Daniel’s voice follows it perfectly, and with the bass accenting smoothly, it all comes together to form a whimsical song, sitting comfortably in the band’s genre.
It’s clear that Daniel, the main songwriter for the group, followed the same experimental philosophy as he did when writing his previous album ‘Moons’, which was released in 2012. He still favours this rhythmic approach, adding texture to each song in different ways, whether that’s a particular riff on guitar or piano, or using a certain key or vibe, giving the songs depth and imagination.
Carrying on through the album, we see mellower songs like ‘Heartless’. It begins with a simple, but gentle piano riff, creating a lullaby sensation, which goes into more of a groove feel when the drum beats come into play. The groove vibe continues when the guitars come in. Using this whiny sound, it creates a very reggae feel, especially when the second guitar comes in. The song ends with the same piano riff, creating a nice satisfying finish.
The last song on the album, ‘Kitty In Detroit’, starts off with a wonderful country-sounding guitar, immediately captivating your attention. It settles into a comfortable finger picked pattern, as Daniel sings lyrics recalling a lost lover. Just when you feel settled and comfortable in the song, the guitarist picks it up with a choppy riff, tingling your senses with pauses that keep the song alive. The song ends with the same choppy riff, keeping you on your toes until the very end.
As a whole, the album is fantastic. It keeps in with the band’s genre, and the desired style that Daniel likes. Everything works together to create dreamy, and enticing songs, that will keep your ears entertained for hours.
