Search - Firebird Band :: City at Night

Meh... 2.5 stars

J. Holmes | yokohama, japan | 10/10/2005

(2 out of 5 stars)

"the Firebird Band is a group from Illinois who take alot of inspiration from the old 80's group who wrote intelligent synthesizer-based pop songs. bands like Talk Talk, OMD, Joy Division, and even The Cure spring to mind when listening to this cd. but there also seems to be some hints of modern electronic artists like Aphex Twin and Plone (especially on the opening intro of "Los Angeles"). on their previous releases, the Firebird Band seemed to be struggling a bit to discover their own style and identity; but thankfully, they seemed to have settled into a groove that fits them well. the keyboards and drum machines are the prominent instruments used, but there are liberal doses of electric guitar and organic elements amidst all the digital burps and squiggles. the songs come accross as being solid and executed with flair and confidence; but the lack of catchy hooks keeps the proceedings flat and grounded. when the Firebird Band do throw out the hooks (as on "Satellite Delay" or "Dangerous") the results show a well-honed craft for subtle songwriting. it's too bad that most of the album relies on the icy coldness of the digital palette, while the vocals seem to be reaching for something a bit more meaningful. there are some really bad misfires on here with the back-to-back punch of "Wake Up" and "Fire" which represent the worst of this album both musically and lyrically. we really don't need another Prodigy, now do we? and the acoustic strum of "Art" and the late night drama of "Tokyo" contains some of the most cringewrothy lyrics this side of Blink 182.



also on the plus side of things, the production of "The City At Night" is very full and suits the music well. also noteable is the graphic design approach, which combines misty and spooky photography of the band members strolling through the ghostly city streets."