Search - Midnight Oil :: Bird Noises

"Let's rock!"

Brian May | Australia | 04/06/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This EP, released in 1980, is something of an oddity. Its four songs are an eclectic assortment and it is probably the first recording that widened Midnight Oil's scope. After this, listeners would no longer be able to pigeonhole the band. It opens with the most characteristic Oils song, the terrific rocker "No Time For Games", which deals with the angst of youth in the face of middle class conformity and parental expectations. "Knife's Edge" is a similar in your face rock song, with a brilliant driving rhythm. With "Wedding Cake Island" the EP becomes a bit more indefinable. A tropical/Hawaiian-like instrumental, this is a gorgeous track, complete with a melody (very unusual for the Oils!) "I'm the Cure" is a strange one. Presumably about drugs, the vocals are spoken very slowly, almost slurred. To the non fan it might sound sick - however it is very insighftul. It's an uncomfortable song - I'm not sure if I like it, but I can't deny its impact. "Bird Noises" is very good. It foreshadows the brilliance that would follow in two years' time, with the album "10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1"."

God is Hiding in This Teacup

Jack Baker | LeRoy,IL | 02/12/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Released between Head Injuries and A Place Without a Postcard, this 4 song EP is a quick snapshot of where Midnight Oil was at in 1980. To my mind, the music on "No Time For Games", "Knife's Edge", and "The Cure" is similar to what the Oils would release a year later on Postcard, but perhaps a little less refined. There's also the gorgeous "Wedding Cake Island", a surf inspired instrumental that showcases the compositional skills of guitarist Martin Rotsey and multi-instrumentalist Jim Moginie. Midnight Oil has never gotten the respect that they deserve as musicians, especially Moginie, who in my opinion is one of the most underrated musicians to emerge over the course of my lifetime. Bird Noises is not Midnight Oil's best work, but it remains an interesting curio in the history of this fine group."