Bowerbirds is an indie folk trio from Raleigh, North Carolina consisting of Philip Moore, Beth Tacular, and Mark Paulson. Equipped with an accordion and a violin, Bowerbirds’ three albums offer an honest, unmistakable sound that begs to be heard in small pubs around the world.
Underneath independent label Dead Oceans, Bowerbirds has released three albums: Hymns for a Dark Horse (2007), Upper Air (2009), and The Clearing (2012). The trio has toured with The Mountain Goats, and has been described as creating freak folk music.
THE RECORD
Upper Air is short and sweet; it contains just 10 tracks, but accomplishes exactly what it sets out to in the short time it plays. The acoustic guitar playing is masterful, containing obvious, but delicate finger strums with not one note out of place. The guitar coupled with the melodic accordion creates a very organic and natural atmosphere throughout the record. Bowerbirds’ lyrics are often filled with images of nature, evoking the symbiosis between humans, animals, and the environment.
Just like the guitar and accordion, the vocals on Upper Air are often a duet between Moore and Tacular. Both singers have very soft voices, but when sung together form a type of pseudo-power. Everything about Upper Air seems so balanced, so it’s not surprising that the songs thrive off of the harmony between all the instruments utilized.
Follwing Upper Air’s release, Bowerbirds recorded The Clearing in Bon Iver’s Wisconsin music studio. The group sucessfully started a Kickstarter campaign to help build a new studio and record their next album.
Upper Air isn’t an obvious favorite record. It’s much more of a grower. It’s the kind of record that you can play while reading or drawing and not really notice it until it stops, leaving you without the comforting sound it provides. It’s then that you really listen to the album, hear the poeticness of the lyrics, and truly appreciate the obvious care that was put into each song.
NOTES FOR YOU
Key Tracks: “Teeth,” “Beneath Your Tree,” & “Northern Lights”
You’ll Like if you like: Devendra Banhart, Beirut, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros
Where to Purchase: Amazon | iTunes
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