All music is the blues when observed from the correct distance, and Bellwether Blues knows this. The same frustrated longings that course through the veins of some nameless delta troubadour can be found in varying amounts in any song of any genre on any album. Bellwether Blues’ debut album For The Birds is no exception. Though blues in name, however, this is no blues band. Or rather, this blues band’s music has more purple in it than blue. There is familiarity in these songs. Like running into an old friend on the street you haven’t seen or thought about for years but still missed. Though however familiar it may seem, there are plenty of corners to turn in Bellwether Blues’ music.
For The Birds begins with the raw frenzy of YOUR INTEREST LIES, showing the group’s affinity for rock and roll and its pioneering elements. The arrangement is sparse and the text is simple, repeating itself over and over like a mantra and building until it boils over. But the searing guitars and harmonica grit are calmed by tracks like IT DOESN'T TAKE MUCH, which gives the listener a chance to get lost in harmonies and a flowing melody that sounds like a modern Mersey beat performance. For The Birds not only displays a wide range of musical styles, from the surf sound of PENELOPE to the uninhibited blues rock of SOMETHING NEW, but it also presents a lyrical diversity that isn't often heard in modern music. While tracks like MY DARK HEART present love in its pure and pleasant form, songs like MARRIED TO YOUR MISERY show love in its flawed and absurd state and seem to almost celebrate love’s constant duality.
For The Birds introduces the world to Bellwether Blues and provides a glimpse of the first steps in a much longer journey. This band recognizes the neglected artistic potential of rock and roll, while still employing the familiar characteristics that can make people dance. They know that music can give hope to the hopeless, impregnate love in the loveless, and lace the blue suede shoes that are itching for a beat. Their ability to play unhinged rock and roll side by side with sophisticated and attractive pop songs gives them a unique advantage in a musical world so intent on homogenizing bands to the point where songs are indistinguishable from one another. Bellwether Blues sees no reason to be like anyone else, so they aren't like anyone else.
Read more...