Timber and Steel

Image Courtesy of iTunes

Part of me is a little sad that the third bundle marks the final release from Basement Birds, and not only because it will give me less to blog about. I’ve been more genuinely excited about this band than any other over the past couple of months and once the full album is released (yesterday) and the tour is over that’s it – the boys will go back to their respective bands and we’ll here no more from the Basement Birds (probably).

The third and final digital bundle from the band breaks from tradition and features four tracks, “Cinnamon and Smoke”, “All That I Feel”, “Ghosts” and “Hamilton Hill”. Once again the 70’s folk-rock influences are all there, however this bundle feels a lot looser than the last couple and definitely has a “jam-band” feel.

“Cinnamon and Smoke” once again takes the band into Crosby, Stills and Nash territory with bluesy harmonies and a rollicking beat. Kevin Mitchell writes on the Basement Birds blog “Hopefully [Cinnamon and Smoke] gives you, the listener, a sense of what it was really like in the recording studio when all of us were in there together” which I think is bang on. The band have kept the production of this song pretty raw with all the bumps and giggles left in for great effect. I’m a huge fan of the clapping drum beat and when the song descends in farce with the boys improv over the honky-tonk piano you know they must have just had so much fun recording this.

“All That I Feel” is one of the band’s slower songs and stands out as a result. While heartbreak seems to be a recurring theme across many of the Basement Birds songs in the past it has been coupled with a sweetness or catchy tune. But this time the melancholy of the lyrics informs the melancholy of the music and you have a sad sad song as a result.

“Ghosts” once again sees what should essentially be a Josh Pyke song pulled out and given the Basement Birds treatment. Something about this song makes me think of Pyke’s track “Middle of the Hill” probably because of the volume of lyrics and the non-linear chord progressions in the verses. But while the Pyke-ness of this song is overwhelmingly obvious the man is one of Australia’s best songwriters and this track is up their with his best.

“Hamilton Hill” is the first and only instrumental from the Basement Birds. It’s a nice, free flowing exercise into 70s fingerpicking and slide guitar. The track would not have been out of place on the Almost Famous soundtrack or that of some other Cameron Crowe film. While not a standout (and at under 2 minutes hardly even a full track) it’s probably the perfect way to round out the final release from the boys.

Overall a more solid outing than the previous bundle but still not as good as the first. The physical form of the album is promising one more unreleased song but other than that I think is the perfect way to finish up what has been a great set of releases from Australia’s best supergroup. Here’s hoping the popularity of the bundles convinces the boys to get together for a second album some time down the track.

Image Courtesy of iTunes

From what I’ve been reading about the Basement Birds part of the reason they’ve decided to release their album online as three separate bundles is because they wrote and recorded it that way – over three separate sessions. And while the band will be releasing the full album on 16th July I think they made the write decision splitting it into three.

The second bundle, containing the tracks “Holly”, “Hardest Part” and “Heartache on the Radio”, has a distinctly different sound to the first. The same influences are there (all three tracks are still banjo and acoustic guitar heavy) but whereas the first bundle was a full of folk-pop goodness the second is heavy on the 70s Americana rock invoking The Eagles, Crosby, Stills and Nash, Bruce Springsteen and of course Dylan.

“Holly” in particular captures this 70s sound. There’s a Billy Joel melody hiding in the chorus. “Born to Run” can be heard through the strains of Kav Temperley’s voice. And the harmonies are textbook Crosby, Stills and Nash. Beginning with a simple acoustic guitar the track builds with the addition of piano, harmonica, rhythm section and vocals unlike it turns into a rollicking love song you could imagine being played on a jukebox somewhere in middle America. The lap-steel guitar adds the final, perfect element to the track sealing it’s place as the band’s most American sounding song to date.

To me “Hardest Part” sounds like it should have been a Josh Pyke track. The opening chord progression (along with Pyke’s voice) wouldn’t sound out of place on Chimney’s Afire or Memories & Dust. The harmonies and piano arrangement (along with the second verse sung by Temperley) pull the song into Basement Birds territory but Pyke’s solo sound is all over this track. Which isn’t a bad thing considering how talented the man is. My only complaint with “Hardest Part” is the lap-steel solo: It seems a little forced and a little amateurish. But the song comes together at the end and is another strong showing for the boy.

“Heartache on the Radio” is probably the poppiest track on the bundle. I also think it’s the most lackluster of all seven songs released by the boys so far. The lyrics are a little self conscious and contrived in their irony. The production is also a little muddier than the other songs (maybe to truly capture that 70s sound?) which doesn’t really suit the band’s individual voices. But still a good song and if this is the worst the Basement Birds can do then I’m more than a little excited to see how they’re going to round out the third bundle.

All in all another strong showing from the Basement Birds. Not nearly as catchy as the first bundle but still very solid. Can’t wait to see what comes next!