Red Bird are an alt-indie group with more than a hint of folk and Americana contained within their music, displayed in their new EP release, The Follies. It’s quite a striking EP, containing five key tracks that clearly mark out a distinctive evolution in the band’s sonic journey. They were actually formed by former members of the noise-rock project Eyecandy – despite the music sounding rather different, the DIY sense of attitude is still gladly present here.
By Jane Howkins
Domino is the first song up, opening the EP nicely with an effortless sense of momentum. In some ways, it sets the tone for the rest of the record, characterised by jangling guitar hooks and a clear rhythm section. Living up to its title, the song’s lyrics explore the quiet chain reaction that our daily choices can make. Arcana is a little darker in terms of it’s lyrical content, yet it still manages to retain an upbeat quality that actually works rather well overall. The vocal phrasing is expressive and the quiet brass instrumentation in the background adds something a little more special to proceedings.
Red Needle is one of the shorter songs on the EP, coming in at just under two and a half minutes. However, it doesn’t really need to be any longer, acting as a nice halfway point for The Follies. It’s punchy and energetic, with a driving percussive beat and some nice melodies.
Title track The Follies acts sort of as the EP’s centrepiece track and natural musical anchor – it’s also nearly six minutes long, allowing Red Bird to really experiment further with their sound. There are a number of dynamic shifts here, going gracefully between quiet introspective moments and more atmospheric instrumental swells, standing as one of the most rewarding tunes on the record.
Finally, we have Ratcatcher to close the EP out without any unnecessary fuss. It’s a little quieter than the previous songs, making for a subtle yet equally valuable piece of music for Red Bird’s back catalogue. The rhythm and main melody are snappy and catchy, ensuring it’ll be stuck in your head for days afterwards.
On their new EP The Follies, Red Bird have shown that they can create catchy and warm tunes that still retain their rough edges, yielding a most rewarding result for any fans of the band. The songwriting mostly leans into the indie-folk genre, but you can still hear their previous noise-rock influences at times, making for a rather interesting listen overall.
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