Folk Alley Sessions, April 9 2013
Archives for April 2013
brown bird is not a folk band
Providence Phoenix, April 8 2013 • Chris Conti
Brown Bird’s David Lamb and MorganEve Swain challenge themselves (and anyone who still insists on calling them a folk band) on their stunning new album, Fits of Reason (via local label Supply & Demand). The devil still dances all over Lamb’s lyrics, though this time around he’s mingling with modern-day Western thinkers and 18th-century authors whose views and writings have clearly inspired his intellectual wordplay. The foot-stomping/clip-clopping structures and Swain’s cello and fiddle remain steeped in American roots, bluegrass, and jazz, and the duo’s penchant for incorporating Middle Eastern and European rhythms is fully intact. But it’s the addition of electric guitar and bass that lends yet another layer to Brown Bird’s distinctive sound.
Brown Bird ‘Fits of Reason’ release
Portsmouth Herald, April 4 2013 • Christopher Hislop
Brown Bird is one of those bands that you really like a lot, but have a hard time pinning down what it is you like best about ’em. Maybe that’s because they pull from so many different influences. It’s always an exciting time when they release a new record — which will be the case when they hit the Press Room on Saturday, April 6. The new record, “Fits of Reason,” is another stunningly beautiful collection of stories told with an accompaniment of lush soundscapes and rich harmonies. The soundscapes are generally very sparse in arrangement, but fleshed out in a way that makes each and every moment sound absolutely huge. A very world/tribal vibe exists in this latest record.
Brown Bird Refuses to be Pigeonholed
Paste Magazine, April 2 2013 • James Joiner
It’s not every day that a band comes along truly defying classification. Oh sure, the media will often anoint someone “genre-bending” to get your attention, but Providence, Rhode Island duo Brown Bird are the real deal. Rootsy folk? Check. Stomp-along Russian gypsy jam? Yup. Hints of acoustic heavy metal? Absolutely. Middle Eastern scimitar-twirling, snake-charming salsa? Sure, I just made that up, but if you listen closely I swear it’s in there. Their new album, Fits of Reason, is all of that and more.
