When I get new music to listen to, if possible, I like to ignore the accompanying press kit until after the initial spin or two. That gives me the chance to approach the record untainted and draw my own conclusions before being influenced by what their press agent has to say, or their biographical background. So I did just that when the Birds Of Avalon's debut, Bazaar Bazaar," showed up last week.After popping it in I immediately started to make sonic references of my own. It sounded like Sloan gone psych. No, it sounded like Led Zeppelin gone pop. No, that's not quite it either. Black Sabbath meets The Beatles?
In fact it's none of those, but the truth lies somewhere in the middle of those comparisons. What appeals to me are the runny maple syrup melodies and the meandering guitar lines that coalesce into thunderous sledgehammer precision right when the riff needs to be heaviest. I've always been a sucker for heavy guitar rock I could still whistle in the shower and this is just the stuff that keeps my toe tapping while satisfying my sweet tooth.
Of course, a lot of this made sense once I realized the band's core was the guitarist couple from The Cherry Valence, but coming to my own conclusions helps to develop what I believe is a more honest, and more satisfying personal, appraisal of the band. I probably would have liked them had I known the background on some of it's members first, but it wouldn't have been such an initial rush the first time the disc started blasting out of my car's speakers the other day.
If you're in Chicago, they hit The Empty Bottle on April 23 or May 29. If you're not in Chicago, other tour dates are here. Don't miss it.
MP3: Birds Of Avalon "Bicentennial Baby"
MP3: Birds Of Avalon "Set You Free"
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