Bird Streets “Bird Streets”
It’s been a long journey for New York songwriter John Brodeur. Since his 2000 debut Tiger Pop, he’s been collaborating, writing and performing for nearly two decades, and through it all maturing as a musician. John’s new project is called Bird Streets, and its a collaboration with the producer and multi-instrumentalist Jason Falkner (Jellyfish) that delivers satisfying results. Falkner has notably has brought out the best in his recent partnerships (R. Stevie Moore, Bent Von Looy) and this continues the trend.
The familiar, but fresh opener “Carry On” has got handclaps and guitar hooks, embracing the best of power pop with its layered melody. Falkner’s influence is really strong on the brilliant single “Betting on the Sun” as it mixes a jangling rhythm with its shimmering light chorus and dark lyric. “Spaceship” is a notable metaphor for the musician’s addictive life as Brodeur states “No way of stopping until life had passed me by.”
The bright “Thanks For Calling” is a great song of longing with a bouncy melody and a catchy bass line. “Heal” describes an abusive co-dependent relationship, with soaring harmonies. Most every track hits its mark, with only a few quiet moments. Overall this is easily Brodeur’s best album, and it continues Falkner’s winning track record. Highly recommended and makes my top ten list for 2018. Kudos once again to Omnivore Records for this one!
Lane Steinberg “Lane Steinberg and His Magical Pony”
Lane Steinberg is a prolific musician often mixing experiments in melodies alongside mini pop symphonies. Sometimes it all comes together (like the brilliant 8×8 projects) and sometimes it doesn’t. This LP gathers many older singles and collaborations. Often I compare him to Todd Rundgren in approach, and the opener “You’re Not Connected To The Internet” has the catchy melody, and crashing percussion. Next, “Another Early Autumn” is a magical Brian Wilson styled composition that showcases Lane’s vocals and savvy production skills.
We do get collaborations with Stevie R. Moore (“Franklin & First”) and David Grahame (“After Taxes”), among others. More highlights include the very Ray Davies-like “Everyone Thinks I’m Happy Now” and the breezy “Portofino.” Overall, a worthy addition to your playlist and it gives the novice listener a good primer to Lane’s musical milieu.
