Bird Machine - Single Review: Our Kind
Here we have the second single from Kiwi/Aussie
duo Bird Machine, and if the debut is anything like this then I can see I
need to check it out. Jenna and Luke Grbin come from different musical backgrounds,
one from alternative and the other from pop, and here they combine those
influences to meet somewhere in the middle. The underlying musical
accompaniment is a strummed acoustic, but there is also a driving percussive
element from the drums, a xylophone adding both chords and individual nuances,
a highly melodic bass and then an electric guitar which comes in and out of the
melody.
At the forefront of everything are Jenna’s wonderful vocals, with Luke harmonising at times and leaving her solo at others. The arrangement is what really makes this song, as the electric guitar has just the right amount of tone, the drums rarely keep to a standard beat and instead adds rolls and loads of additional rhythms, while the xylophone takes the music in a quite different and earthy direction. All this complexity allows for Jenna to sing clear and freely with a style which is clear and perfectly suited for this style of folk, with more than a hint of emotion and power within. Aotearoa are very fortunate indeed with a large number of incredible female/male duos working in the folk scene, and I only hope these guys come up to Auckland soon as this is a wonderful number packed with hooks which invites the listener closely in. Great stuff.
About Bird Machine
Their first release A Lot of Love, is about embracing differences as a way of overcoming the polarization and conflict that permeates the globe right now. Layered, syncopated, and laid-back, this genre-fluid jam is a soulful and heartfelt debut.
Their next single, Our Kind, is set for independent release in the first half of 2022.
Visit the muzic.net.nz Profile for Bird Machine
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