Birdbath
And Then LP
Wednesday 4th of June 2008
The second album from Bristol 4 piece Birdbath, And Then, is a product having emerged from a turbulent history. Having disbanded and reformed three times, the art-rockers are familiar with the strains of bandom. However, around the time of their third resurfacing in 2006, they played a gig at Bristol Carling Academy that saw EMI expressing an interest: But only if they got an image and a Marilyn Manson type front-man. Like any band with a slither of conscience, they chuckled heartily and declined.
Despite having laughed in the face of EMI, Birdbath have nothing on this release to grin about. Most, if not all the songs are bland and two dimensional. But give them their due, the rickety production quality doesn't offer them any favours.
Here and there, beneath the ice-sheet of monotonous art-rock, there are flickers of melody and inspired craftsmanship. At times there is evidence that Birdbath have found their groove, building throbbing bass lines and angular riffs into something potentially impressive.
'Diet Kruger' is dark and brooding, echoing the menace of Slint. But any hint of colour or evolution is stultified by their penchant for repetitive, mechanical riffs. 'Just rice' is perhaps the prettiest track on the album. A sweetly chiming guitar phrase sings out over a pulsating bass riff, which builds into a rousing finale.
Fans of Lo-Fi and Post-rock bands like Mogwai, Shellac and Sonic Youth will find lots of quirky, DIY sounds on here to appreciate; and to be fair, they appear to be a band who do not take things too seriously- you only need to look at their song titles to see that! But the incessant slow tempos and grinding, slightly slapdash approach to recording makes for a yawn inducing listen.
Author: Jamie S
Label: Self-Released
Found in: Record Reviews
Official Rating
We rated this record 1.5 out of 5.