Birdsongs Of The American West
Self-Released, 2023
8/10
Listen to Birdsongs Of The American West
An outfit from Colorado and Wyoming, Birds Of Play blend Americana, folk and bluegrass thanks to Alex Paul, Eric Shedd, Jack Tolan, Anneke Dean and David Brown’s precise and playful interaction.
“Texture” opens the listen with warm picking, where expressive singing and Shedd’s cozy bass makes an immediate impression, and “Aftermath” follows with Dean’s emotive violin complementing the glowing vocal harmonies and meticulous instrumentation.
Halfway through, “Peace” uses Tolan’s upbeat mandolin for the eloquent and poetic album highlight, while “Paradox Of Choice” spolights Brown’s meticulous upright bass that comes with gritty singing and much beauty.
Residing near the end, the detailed guitar playing of “Breathe” emits timeless folk qualities, and “Exhale” exits with an absorbing intimacy that is quite lush thanks to the emotive violin, skilled mandolin and agile guitar playing.
An extremely genuine and eloquent listen, Birds Of Play sounds like the areas in which they reside, where influences such as Wood Brothers, Punch Brothers and Andrew Bird won’t go unnoticed or unappreciated.
Travels well with: Gregg Hill- Bayou St. John; Crowes Pasture- Don’t Blink