This is quite different from the track I heard from Bellafea on a recent split 7" release, still revolving largely around guitars, percussion, and interesting female singing, and at times definitely letting the guitars get looser (if not far noisier) than usual, but... it's definitely not something I'd call avant-garde per se (which is how I referred to their track o the 7"). Opener "Be Still & Know" is more of an intro, recorded very dryly with handclaps and foot tapping providing the rhythm to back the singing, and I actually don't care for it at all. "Tara" then starts off strong but devolves into a cascade of guitar noise and frantic percussion. So, it's "While We Are Still Young" that becomes the first of the tracks that I really enjoy, perhaps taking on a more straightforward indie rock kind of sound at times with some nice basslines. "Seasons" is slower and more melodic, having a lightly poppy sort of edge to its generally somber atmosphere, and using some nice male signing as backup; while the largely instrumental "Thorn Bird", the longest track, is darker and layers acoustic guitars in with a beautifully faint vocal performance before shifting into a quirky distorted rhythm that's far more acerbic and drops back to resonant percussion and soft clean guitars in the distance. "Family Tree" ends the EP with stripped down acoustic guitars and soft singing for its bulk - a very consistent and minimal approach that I thoroughly enjoy (this is absolutely the most emotional and forceful track herein). The recording is good, though the vocals are a little too dominant in my opinion. I love the singing, but the way the vocals are almost constantly doubled and panned makes them overpowering in a way. I also think that despite its natural warmth, the overall mix needs a little more brightness and a full tonal range to do the songs justice. It sounds good, but needs a little more tweaking to be fully effective. Visually it's fairly minimal, with the booklet set up like a photo album, but using blank spaces, the backs of images, or images with the faces removed. The lyrics are similarly abstract, but I actually enjoy some of them a lot. "Winter is brutal when it's silent and cold, You have made things so much worse, Roses howl in the wind tonight, You are somewhere not alone, What is erotic about eradication? It is a slow and gorgeous dive if the wind is blowing just right, Your melody will survive." I'm still curious about this band, but overall their performance on the split 7" with Des_Ark was definitely stronger. I believe they're basically a duo that enlists the help of different musicians from time to time to keep their sound changing up (with basically every song herein boasting a different lineup), so maybe that's a part of it? I'd like to hear more in the future though, there's definitely talent and creativity involved with this one. "Family Tree" is a fucking great song.
[Pidgeon English]
Running time - 20:07, Tracks: 6
[Notable tracks: While We Are Still Young, Thorn Bird, Family Tree]
Pidgeon English - http://www.pidgeonenglish.com
