Located in Fulshear, Texas, junebird's self-titled debut junebird was recorded by Steve Tagliere (former Gingersol) and Jason Bonilla. Tagliere and Bonilla played all the instruments, recorded and produced the recording. Tagliere wrote ten of the songs and co-wrote three with Bonilla. The pair have since become a four-piece and are preparing for live shows in the coming months and are recording a follow up. Tagliere states, "I have the next 26 albums ready to go, no joke, so we have a lot of work to do.” Wow, I’d say! Junebird was recorded and mixed at Tagliere's house, with Bonilla also recording guitars on his laptop at his house. Tanglier recorded five solo records at home in the last two years before forming junebird. Scott Craggs provided the mastering. Tagliere says about his work ethic, “I write songs every day on my lunch break and get up at 3:30am and record before I go to work – these are the songs on the album and they're very simply about my life, struggles, disappointments, observations and triumphs.” Tagliere also states that family can be a challenge, and that betrayal is a tough thing to work through, all the while trying to remain optimistic – or at least trying to get to some level of optimism.
Thematically, the album is about fighting the good fight but being honest about the doubt that's always lurking and acknowledging the perseverance to keep moving forward. Sometimes moving on leaves something behind, but it can also mean finding strength within. The opening track, “This Part is Hard” is about finding yourself in a place of struggle, where you thought you were on solid ground, but all you find around is shifting sand. Somehow, with all the questioning “Will it ever feel right?” there is that still small voice that says, “But you’ve made it this far.” Junebird’s sound is rustic, indie and has a live, raw quality to it that I liked. “Be a Friend” I thought had an even more live sound, especially with the drums. I liked the group’s arrangement on this one – how they put in a short break after the chorus parts. I also liked the sound of the bass. Overall, the band’s style has elements of ‘80s college alt-rock and jangle pop. I think the main message to this song is, to have friends you got to “be a friend.” “Don’t Be Afraid” has got plenty of that bright, jangle pop, made well known by bands like R.E.M. I also thought about Wilco, as well as the melancholic country rock sound on The Replacement’s last album, All Shook Down. Lyrically, I understood this song to be about facing your fears and, it helps to have someone by your side through the dark times. Joel Martin is featured playing the pedal steel here. Next up, “All Things Being Equal” is a slower paced number with dark sounds, earthy and muddy. Style wise, the duo’s approach is hypnotizing, kind of shoegaze you could say, with mixed sounds of banjo and droning guitars. “Don’t Get Stuck” is about not giving up, not getting stuck, despite “threats becoming mountains” and not being able to find a clear path out. A bright, positive song with a beautiful melody. I liked the sound of the guitar and banjo on this one a lot. “Dumbass” is one of the duo’s faster paced tracks and reminded me a lot of early R.E.M. and Soul Asylum. Lyrically, it’s about a friend making bad choices and then they ask you for help to get out of whatever trouble they’re in, but you flat out tell them no. “The Softer Lie” features a very lush, soft sound. I really loved the muffled, mallet playing (?) sound of the drums here. In my opinion, I thought the band was channeling The Replacements in a big way – songs like “Sadly Beautiful” and “Skyway” come to mind. The next track “There’s Always a Choice” is about finding that other (right) choice, whatever it may be, because you’ve made so many missteps in the past. Musically, there’s a fantastic, big live sound going on here. Lots of echoing guitars and distortion, and cutting through it all is the crisp, bright sound of the ride cymbal. What caught my ear the most though was the guitar chord change between the verses. The next track, “Oh So Bright” has a bass melody and hard drum rhythm that reminded me of Neil Young and Crazy Horse. I don’t know, the band’s blend of folk rock and alt-country made me think of them. Joel Martin is featured again on pedal steel. “Happy Again” has an uplifting appeal and a great rocking groove – another positive song about keeping your head up because eventually, you will be happy again. “A Splintered Excuse on a Sturdy Concern” I think is about making bad moves on the game of life and/or placing bets that don’t turn out in your favor. Anyway, it’s another of the band’s faster paced tracks, tense and full of rocking energy, with great rhythm section vibes, too. “Guilt Times Pride Equals No Future” has got a great sound, it’s hard for me to put it into words. But what I liked the most was the melody, there’s a beautiful sadness to it. I also liked the vocal harmonies and the short guitar solos. Junebird’s last song “Anchor” is also their longest – clocking in well after six minutes. This last tune is about having someone in your life that keeps you grounded and sane – “You are my anchor, without you I’d drift…you are my anchor, you keep me where I need to be.” Musically, this one had an interesting mix of sounds, droning guitar melodies, and extra percussive layers and textures. Junebird’s self-titled debut has a large variety of musical influences, some of which are mentioned here. The album blends styles of indie rock, alt-country, folk rock, pop rock and, what else? – it was all good from start to finish in my view. It’s one of those recordings where you may find yourself listening to the entire thing in one sitting. Not many bands have that kind of hold on their listening audience these days. And with “the next 26 albums ready to go” as Tagliere puts it, I for one look forward to hearing what’s next from this Texas band.
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