If you’re still reading, then I gotta say thanks for showing pity. Actually, Josh was the main reason why I got into the Night Birds anyhow. I got a DL of The Other Side of Darkness after reading his review and loved it. Night Birds even hit Cincinnati for a show at Rakes End that I heard from Thwart Insurgents loyal to the cause, was amazing. I missed them once; I WILL NOT miss them again. Come hell or insipidus water loss, I will not make the same error twice.
“Is this the new D.I. record?” he asked as soon as I hit play. “No” I said “but I can hear where you’re coming from.” The Night Birds have the 79-81 west coast sound down to a “t” (Please Note: the ‘t’ is really a dagger). As with Darkness, you can still hear that Bloodstains era Agent Orange and yeah, D.I. too… I get that… But I hear more of a slant towards The Adolescents. The very slight difference because really, Night Birds are very Posh Boy Recirds like… I must try to reach and offer something more than what Josh Rutledge gives you but I'm not sure I can. I tried. Fuck it. I’ll tell ya though, if D.I.s new record sounds like Suburbia then I wanna get hold of that record too cause I love what Im hearing.
Suburbia picks up right where Darkness lead off. The songs take a deeper look into modern dystopian emotions. Are ‘things’ really getting better? Well, to attempt to answer that you must judge how they can be worse? That's where your headed and don't say you didn't read the sign talking about bacteria and amoeba levels. Reading the lyrics to these songs, you may be left with more questions than answers you wanna hear or, as a good ol’ American expect. Suburbia is an album full of angst escapist anthems further documenting the inevitable wipeout. The tongue in cheek is really a bitten of tongue. Blood pours from the mouth… With a slight increase in production standards on Suburbia, you hear the Night Birds East coast version of west coast punk-surf influences shine by way of of Agent Orange, Adolescents, TSOL and other So Cal punk (re:Posh Boy), give this eyes and ears. “Pretty Poison” and “Ads In My Eye” fucking cut. The Night Birds are a band of the moment that in 10 years people will still revere and aspire to duplicate. The Night Birds are the sound of now. So what are you waiting for? A Lifeguard? Surf at your own risk. Stay off my beach. Take Heed, your in the shot-gun’s splatter-zone.
Grave Mistake Records (FB)
Night Birds (FB)
Night Birds (Bandcamp)