State Bird
State Bird presents their third release, Holy Spirits, and the spirits they do flow. Last we left off, State Bird had seen the light- belting ukuleles and tribal choirs chanting redemption, Hollerin’ Mountains, and a Ghost King by the shore. And while State Bird hasn’t completely emerged from the hills and hollows of Ohio, the woods are burning to the ground on this one. Born in the ashes of a lightening storm, State Bird has become electric, psychedelic, and down right bombastic. Mostly Ghostly was the Lamb, Holy Spirits is the Lion.
Recorded at Tiny Telephone in San Francisco under the tutelage of Ian Pellicci(Deerhoof, Rogue Wave) , the whole album sounds like it was forged in sick and dipped in awesome. And while the track count is light, just a 5-song EP (21 minutes), the sound is bigger than ever. The guitars sing like 2-stroke engines, ripping and roaring, haunting and huge. The boys wield fuzz and feedback masterfully, bending noise into hooks with aplomb and bravado, spinning riffs like great metal spiders, noodling out terrific webs of sound, then snatching the chorus out of thin air and letting it buzz and shake for dear life.
A lot has changed for State Bird, but the joy hasn’t; The joy is still pouring out of every note. And they’ve got that thing that most bands never find: a voice. State Bird is sounding more interesting than ever. Anyone can crap out a pop song, but it takes a certain stubborn insanity to summon the hits, then set ‘em on fire. That’s why State Bird’s catalogue of music will be relevant long after we’re worm food: because they’re naive enough to believe art isn’t dead, brilliant enough to be dangerous, stubborn enough to make a joyful noise, and earnest enough to mean it.
Albums:
Holy Spirits
1. On Fire
2. Wasting Away
3. Good Vibes
4. Free Your Mind Bitch
5. Wonder Years
Press:
“Through the rest of Holy Spirits, the band reveals the three keys to its success: complementary, cooperative and consistent music. Whether the instrumentation is minimal or climactic, the music retains its pop accessibility in form and structure.” – Ink
“They’ve got a touch of that way back sound – a little 60s pop here, a little 70s reverb, hazy psychedelia there.” – Obsessive Compulsive Music Disorder
“Compared with Mostly Ghostly (State Bird’s 2008 release), the band now has a big sound where Coby and Jared wield fuzz and feedback masterfully.”- Brooklyn Rocks
“‘Mostly Ghostly’ presents glorious, full-bodied tracks that swell with a plethora of instrumentation and gospel-like choruses. ” – Spin.com
“Sounding like an approximation of Neutral Milk Hotel bumping into Modest Mouse at one of Wilco’s more rural-inflected concerts, State Bird enlists a cadre of fine musicians to add flourishes of brass or percussion, subtle or otherwise, that give its sound a sophisticated and full body.” – Cleveland Free Times
“lush beyond belief…an absolute gem.” – Side One Track One
“the most impressive aspect of the album are in fact Hartzler and Riblet’s vocals. They are honest, constantly harmonizing, and ever changing in presentation. A rarity in music today and a delight for the listener.” – Transform Online
“It’s difficult not to get up off the couch and start marching right alongside them.”- Opuszine
All content © The Record Machine Press 2010.