Rating: 9.2/10
The setting here is important. A stormy, windy October night when the red rear lights of a pickup start to fade away - then Eureka Birds plays. Complete with the subtle whispers, dying chimes and the type of ambiance that opens the mind up, this Baltimore group hit the nail on the head with their self-titled debut album that released last month.
What Justin Levy (vocals, piano), Dave Rogoza (guitar) and Allin Hinton (keyboards, synthesizer) thought up, they delivered. With the help of Tyler Watkins (Margot and the Nuclear So and So's) in the recording process, not only did Eureka Birds capture a dynamic sound for the season, but they have also dipped into an expansive sound that enabled them to pick up Dami Soh (cello), Jason Hoffheins (drums) and Mike Passariello (bass) for their live act without missing a beat.
Any new listener to Eureka Birds can find comfort in that fact that the album doesn't need to be played all the way through to find a decent track. Every song works well on its own. The tracks that best present the group's mystical sound are "The Still Life", "Oh! My Dear" and "Dinosaurs".
Opening up the album in a slow motion groove, "The Still Life" exhibits just a morsel of the creative engineering behind the 11 tracks ahead. The use of a patient electric piano and simple drums set the pace for this track as it slowly winds along with Levy's lyrics of "All these crazy things you think". The addition of a metal rumble strip-sounding clip halfway through this song sends a relaxing, yet mystic feel that sets the mood and tempo for rest of the album.
Containing the almost spiritual haunting within the album is "Oh! My Dear". Whining violin strings, presumptuous horns and the low end piano playing capture this mystic mode most completely out of any track on Eureka Birds. Outside of lyrics that sing "There's an unexplained creaking underneath my floorboards, and if you listen close you can hear the most haunting sound", the instrumentals manage to define this creepiness as heavy trombone and spiraling downward noises add to this bizarre song.
"Dinosaurs" offers another imaginative look into the album, as it sings to dinosaurs acting like people. The whole concept lends to metaphors, but really any song about these long deceased reptiles that roamed the Earth works wonders for a wandering mind. To make the glue to this song stick stronger, Levy's vocals meet every rising fear the lyrics and slammed hi-hats create.
Over the course of this 11-track album, the electric piano does stand out a bit more than the other instruments, although with a such great number of instruments supporting it, each time the piano shows up, it comes across with a new supporting cast and overall sound. The complete list of instruments on this album includes: vibraphone, drums, xylophone, guitar, bass, violin, bells, trumpet, trombone, organ, tambourine, and regular, electric and electric pianos. This album also featured nine artists.
Eureka Birds has everything one could ask for from an indie rock band that leans towards a down-tempo approach. Harnessing the talents of so many artists outside of the original three places Eureka Birds in a class few bands can touch. Although Levy's vocals really are never exploited, they work for for the mood they sing in. As each song can stand alone, it should be noted that the flow of the album never throws a curve ball.
This album easily qualifies as one of the top albums of the year due to this concerted, quality effort loaded originality. Since it only was released in October, the staying power of the group's sound is still yet to be determined as they move forward as six and not three. Check out the mp3s below and let us know what you think.
MP3: Eureka Birds - Oh! My Dear (buy)
MP3: Eureka Birds - Dinosaurs (buy)
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