hooves on the turf

Download “In Our Talons” (from Hymns for a Dark Horse)

The lounge area that is now part of Soundfix Records sits cozily past its music collection, and is a venue you want to take advantage of. The intimacy it provides is unlike any other record store’s, since there are tables over which specialty drinks can be had in a laid back atmosphere, away from all the records under bright lights of commerce; and the size of the room itself is just right. Bowerbirds took no more than 15 minutes to set up. After the most basic of sound checks, the acoustics proved its worth as well. Other events may prove otherwise, but the venue was a superb fit for this particular band (while handling my t-shirt purchase, singer Phil Moore said that he had previously been unaware of the store’s existence, but was glad to have discovered it through playing it; on stage he mentioned how good it felt to play a small venue after touring with the Mountain Goats for the past few weeks).

More after the jump.

With their album Hymns for a Dark Horse, Bowerbirds have a solid rock under their feet. Each song is so complete that it is without confusion, and the success of their shows comes from the clarity that allows unfettered commitment in performance. The songs are simple in style, but the whole of their simplicity is filled and lined with content; the lyrics exercise the economy of poetry, and the tunes that carry them fit them perfectly. Even when only Beth and Phil sang some parts, the resultant volume was less a physical product of their voices than of the underlying songwriting itself. In fact, the strength of the entire album is that volume is achieved with the littlest of fuss, and the performances give the same impression, where the band is simply a vessel for this mass, the interpretation of which has long been discovered and documented, and now must simply be relayed with truthfulness.

Being a trio definitely seems to help in achieving that goal, since their music is the kind that asks for a private nurturing in the hands of its own makers (and I hope that with a rise in popularity, they will see no need to tour as a bigger band). Mark Paulson, in any case, who is currently the third member, adds a crucial polish to the core with his help on violin, backup singing and bass drum. Phil and Beth don’t appear to have gotten over the glee of playing their songs - Beth, in fact, always had a smile ready to burst (in some cases I even noticed her suppressing it).

They played without a set list, but the songs were in this order:

My Oldest Memory
Hooves
La Denigracion
Slow Down
Bur Oak
The Marbled Godwit
In Our Talon
Olive Hearts
Dark Horse
The Ticonderoga

Upcoming shows:
THU 10/18/2007 New York, NY Knitting Factory (Force Field PR / Aero Booking CMJ Showcase)
SAT 10/19/2007 New York, NY CMJ Day Stage

Details

Soundfix Records
October 3, 2007