Suburban Birds - Suburban Birds

Suburban Birds

Suburban Birds
self-released; 2015

3.9 out of 5

By Megan Gazzo

Suburban Birds EP by Suburban Birds feels like a bird that has just freshly left its caged habitat of suburbia. I think that suburbia can feel like a cage with its claustrophobic safeness and that many of us that grew up in such environments can relate to the daydreams of escaping, perhaps sprouting wings and exploring the skies. There is a dreamy, crisp feel to the instrumentals in this EP. Thick creamy waves of glittery flight fill my soul when I listen to it. 

The first song “Awakening” feels effervescent and dreamlike. Lyrics like,  "She is breathing out the air, a million molecules everywhere," make you feel like the particulates that compose us of a physical space are free from structure and are just buzzing little balls of energy. The singer’s voice is magical and soothing. There are a lot of brushes used with the drumming giving it an angelic sound. Gentle taps and lots of cymbal use with minimal bass lift the music into the heavens. The next song “Losing Your Senses” continues the theme of freeing oneself. Losing senses, the physical elements that keep us human, when lost leave us as just electric light floating around in space. There are lots of open vacuous moments to explore throughout this EP with intermittent high octave guitar strumming. The singer’s voice is falsetto and the whole EP is kept high in the sky. Not too much deep grounding, roots-y sounds in this piece.  

The song “Beta” is catchy and vibrant showing the versatility that they can take their dreamy sound to. The band has an essence akin to the Blacks Keys fused with a tinge of psychedelic rock laced with a sentiment similar to that of the Virgin Suicides soundtrack. Swanky, skanky bass and some playful keyboard dances that make it hard to forget. The main singer’s voice is warm and vibratory. Feels familiar and calming. The singer does not show off his vocal range much, however it isn't necessary because it’s so magical and crisp. 

"Goodbye, Goodbye" seems mainstream radio worthy. I could imagine lots of people knowing the words to this track and yelling them out together in unison. "We turned our darkest days into blinding days." The lyrics lift you up higher and higher. I love the way the instrumentals are all extremely friendly to the molecular composition of being human. All my cells seem to dance around happily with these sounds. All of the instruments seem to just sprinkle the song, none moving in too hard or fast, just sprinkling and dancing all about. 

The EP is versatile. At times it is a slow, rhythmic sing-along worthy piece and other times a high-flying psychedelic wonderland. I appreciate their sound and highly suggest checking this one out. Not too many bands coming out of Utah have as evolved of a sound as these guys. The EP is an enjoyable listen and easily digestible. It is a fan favorite for those that like to dance around with their eyes closed.

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