For The Birds is a supergroup collective out of Vancouver, British Columbia formed by musicians Ben Lubberts and Kyle Penny. They’ve just released an EP titled Chasing Tales Volume 1 which collects their first four independently produced tracks.
For The Birds hopes to create songs that “evoke a sense of grandness, wonder and excitement, painting a rich sonic landscape with a fresh perspective on modern production and songwriting.” Musically they’ve been compared to Elbow and Radiohead. Lyrically they pair “deconstructed religious insight and pensive musings” with a symphonic musical backdrop, with digital piano as the primary instrument. They’ve also created videos for each track on YouTube. After playing the EP on Bandcamp, I watched the individual song videos, so my review may be influenced by their visual presentation. All recording took place on GarageBand and the tracks were edited and mixed using Cubase and mastered using LANDR’s online services. “Heavenly Sigh” is the album’s debut single, and immediately establishes piano as the primary instrument. The vocals are somewhat in the style of Peter Gabriel, though not quite as idiosyncratic. The band states that this song “speaks of our frailty when the universe decides on alternate plans other than our own.” This is represented visually by drawings of a little girl losing her blanket to the wind, which is when the music swells into a dramatic arrangement with expansive keyboards, drums and a full vocal chorus. The overall sound is as good as any professional track, which means the boys made expert use of GarageBand and their online mastering tools. The video itself has a sweet, surprise ending that I won’t give away. The next track “Quiet Dancers” again starts predominantly with piano and vocals, but the lead vocals are more melodic and interact effortlessly with the background singers. The music is here is a more sophisticated, smooth-jazz version of their first track, and the lyrics have to do with breaking out of one’s shell and dancing without fear or shame, in whatever form that takes. “I know I’m not on Broadway, but man I got that feeling / That I’m a verse away from breaking out / Breaking out among the restless crowd.” The video features a wild, nonstop interpretive dance by the lovely Michelle Mitschrich. “In Good Hands” is introduced as “a tribute to a fallen brother and the security and timelessness of brotherhood.” Here again the vocals and even the arrangement strongly channel Peter Gabriel. The video, shot on location on a train trestle, benefits from overhead drone footage and builds tension as two brothers - and then one - freely climb and walk over them. Though I don’t know the back story, it’s clear that this song comes from real loss and is a powerful and sadly beautiful callout to kindred souls. If you don’t cry at the end, you are a monster. “Blessed Day In January” is termed “a jazzy daydream during the coldest month.” This final track is again packed with lead and background vocals and wall-of-sound keyboards, a bit like the Fleet Foxes but even more expansive and “church like.” The video also brings us full circle, with the little girl and her blanket, the dancer and the striking English locations (now covered in snow) all making a final return. Overall I was quite amazed at the sound quality the boys achieved with such basic tools, and the music was never less than beautiful. A great start to what promises to be a terrific ongoing series.
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