Two Wounded Birds… Every birdy hurts sometimes
Review: Two Wounded Birds – Two Wounded Birds
Published on June 14th, 2012 | Jonny Abrams
Hot on the heels of Crocodiles’ latest record comes a similarly energised and reverb-soaked affair in the form of this self-produced, self-titled debut from Margate four-piece Two Wounded Birds, which has been released through The Drums guitarist Jacob Graham’s own Holiday Recordings label.
Whereas their San Diego counterparts whittle more of a fuzzy psych-pop out of this approach, Two Wounded Birds shoot for classic songwriting craft and do so with commendable variety. “Together Forever” sounds like The Vaccines’ “Wreckin’ Bar (Ra Ra Ra)” going to a fancy dress party as an early Beatles number, a momentary Supergrass-y chord change threatening to unleash a menace that is sadly not forthcoming, before “My Lonesome” has us grasping for phrases such as “in stark contrast” by applying twangy, Shadows-esque surf guitar to a sparse minor-key atmosphere, all of which leads into a bit of an organ freak-out.
Johnny Danger’s vocals are pleasingly understated and adapt well to the shifting moods and settings, which go on to include the sighing, fast-paced lament of “To Be Young”, the “Rockaria”-echoing twelve-bar blues of “Daddy’s Junk”, the elegant, gently swaying singalong of “I’m No Saviour” and swoonsome speed-picking of “If Only We Remain”.
As we come to the end, Two Wounded Birds whip out lighters-in-the-air ballads “No Goodbyes” and “The Outer World”, before bringing it all to a close with the lovely, I Am Kloot-like sparseness of “Growing”. A well-rounded debut, then, and one that hints of better things to come. In any case, you shall not be wanting for melodic fuzziness this summer.
Rocksucker says: Three and a Half Quails out of Five!
Two Wounded Birds’ self-titled debut album is out now on Holiday Recordings. For more information, including a list of live dates, please visit twowoundedbirds.com
About the Author
Jonny Abrams Editor of Rocksucker and the website's founder, Jonny is passionate about the music he listens to, both good and bad, as well as interviewing his favourite musicians.
