eden - crying birds

Eden

Crying Birds
self-released; 2014

3.8 out of 5

By Demiera Harris

I’ll admit that the title track to Eden’s Crying Birds was a bit jarring when it first started, but it evolved into a song that just made me think…’wow, this is incredibly sweet’! Eden has an absolutely beautiful voice, a voice that sounds a bit young but also slightly hardened by the truths of life – hers is a voice you identify with without even needing to hear what she’s saying (I realized, after making that observation, that she expresses this exact sentiment in the lyrics – well played). The beat is certifiably pop inspired but I could definitely hear something like that on my local alternative rock station; I think it’s the drums that really give it an extra kick. 

I’m not sure what the track “Angels” is about but I kept having perpetual goose bumps throughout that song. It reminds me so much of 60’s and 70’s soul that I almost don’t know what to do with myself; the addition of those drums tints it with rock and her vocals just soar above it all – I almost want to fly listening to her!

Just when I thought I couldn’t be more impressed, “Blue Home” comes along with its R&B smooth vibe and yanks me back to the 90’s in all its awesome happy nostalgia. My favorite song on the album, “Not In a Bad Way,” followed with a sort of rapped vocal that reminded me of Left Eye from TLC, with the attitude and youth but honest lyrics – though definitely a bit softer in some points of delivery. I loved how she smoothly transitioned from the rap to the sung lyrics and the power with which she performed the song. The album ends (relatively) quietly with “I Will Be,” a very thoughtful and introspective song. 

It seemed to me that each portion of instrumentation had its own genre and influence, but it came together to make a poppy, groovy, soul-laden album that one could sing along to in the car on the way to a party or even in the shower. But at the very heart, and what really made me fall in love with this album and Eden, was the willingness to leap beyond expectations and the musical acumen to combine a lot of different and seemingly contradictory sounds and genres into a really unique and powerfully confident collection of songs. I loved it from start to finish. 

Become A Fan

soundcloud