Review: Bowerbirds- Upper Air

Bowerbirds debuted in 2008 with 'Hymns For A Dark Horse', and in many ways got lost in the shuffle of the Bon Iver and Fleet Foxes craze. In a sense rightfully so, as the record was rather inferior to its many acclaimed folk contemporaries. However, it is undeniable that Bowerbirds spin on indie folk is one all their own, a truly unique take on what in many ways has become a fairly safe genre. Now in 2009, on 'Upper Air', the group present their unique sound to much greater effect, in a shorter, ultimately more gripping and satisfying album.

The overall sound of the two albums is much the same, instrumentally driven by the same acoustic guitar and accordion duo, with the occasional piano trickling into the mix. Vocally, Phil Moore still takes the reins with his elongated speech style of singing. While it would be unfair to say his vocal delivery is merely affected talking, to some it may still come off this way. This is not so much to the detriment of the music as it is just another facet of Bowerbirds unique sound. That said however, one can only wonder how these melodies might play out with Robin Pecknold behind the mic. A welcome addition to the album are the extended vocal responsibilities of Beth Tacular (still the best named gal in music). She harmonizes nicely with her boyfriend/bandmate on the majority of the tracks, and is even seen taking the mic alone on "Beneath Your Tree". (These two are not allowed to get married until he changes his name to 'Phil Tastic'. Just sayin.) Percussive duties on this record also can be seen to extend beyond the lone bass drum of before. A less is more approach is still taken in regard to the drums, but the full kit definitely gives a needed punch to quite a few numbers.

Opener "House Of Diamonds" is a telling sign of whats to come; not necessarily an immediately catchy or memorable song, but a very enjoyable listen. The highest praise 'UA' can be given in fact is simply that it avoids almost all of the pitfalls that plagued the duo in the past. There is nothing that even nearly approaches the drudgery of "The Marbled Godwit" or "The Ticonderoga" of 'HFADH'. That is not to say the record does not play out slowly. It is an album to be approached without expectation in order to truly be enjoyed. Particularly songs like "Chimes" and "Crooked Lust" require the listener to meet the band halfway before they can be duly appreciated. Perhaps the albums greatest feat however lies in its more tender moments. While this is sentiment Bowerbirds have always tried to communicate, they have never managed to connect before in quite the way that songs like "Silver Clouds" and "Ghost Life" succeed in doing. Granted, nothing on the album is as immediate as "In Your Talons" or "Human Hands", but nothing here ever drags in the manner that 'HFADH' did either.

Ultimately, you may never love this record per se, but it is a very low probability that you will actively dislike it either. That said, it is hard to detract from Bowerbirds for mediocrity or playing it safe as their sound is a truly unique and enjoyable one. If only for this reason the group is well worth checking out, in which case 'Upper Air' is undeniably the ticket to do it.

Rating: 7/10
Best Tracks: "House Of Diamonds", "Northern Lights", "Bright Future"