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.

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The Boston Globe, October 18 2011 • James Reed

PAWTUCKET, R.I. David Lamb’s tattooed hands tell a story. Fists clenched and held together, they spell out in block letters a reminder that he once needed. Lamb got that ink at a trying time in his life, when he was restless and could use a moral compass. You think about that tattoo and its message a lot when you listen to Brown Bird, the band Lamb started in 2003 as a solo project. Home could be anywhere. From its bluesy swagger to exuberant Eastern European string arrangements to visceral folk narratives, Brown Bird’s music is nomadic and yet rooted in things we all want: love, comfort, direction.

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Performer Magazine, October 6 2011 • Elianna Masse

“Equal parts American folk, blues, country, and gypsy” David Lamb’s melodious voice combined with MorganEve Swain’s whiny cello, a guitar, and banjo all create an auditory treat.  Swain’s presence on the upright bass is also heard over Lamb’s storytelling vocals—making every note hang above a room and fill the much-needed silence with toe tapping and hand clapping movements.  This multitasking duo has their thumb on sounds created years ago, but they continue to put their own stamp on familiar genres.  Their take on folk depicts a much darker harmony than the average, as their blues and country inflections remain rhythmic.

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Paste Magazine, October 5 2011

Brown Bird is gearing up for the release of their latest album Salt for Salt due out October 18th, and we’ve got a new video from them. The duo shows their prowess in this live recording of “Bilgewater” on top of a docked boat. The band recommends listening to their new album in a room made of wood, but the boat is a satisfactory substitute.

WBUR Radio, Sep 21, 2011

Maine Magazine, September 2010 • Kathleen Mackay (photo: Mikael Kennedy)

Dave Lamb is a one-man band: the 32-year-old leader of Brown Bird plays guitar and percussion at the same time, and sings lead vocals. In his trio, he is ably accompanied by the lithe and elegant MorganEve Swain, 25, also multitasking on vocals, fiddle, cello, ukulele, guitar, and upright bass (but not playing them at the same time like Lamb), and Mike Samos, 31, on lap steel guitar and Dobro.

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