Song, by Toad

avatar

Braeley Whaley – Goo Bird EP

Hmm, this is rather interesting.  It’s tough to describe, though, and I doubt it’ll be for everyone.  It’s experimental and odd, prone to weird noises and odd, rhythms, but still with an underlying melodiousness such that there’s nothing aggressively obscure about it.

At times the vocals are harmonious and lovely, and the band seem to have decided to dress their music in a blanket of kindness, to ameliorate some of the odder moments they indulge in.  Peculiar ambient noises provide a sort of undercurrent to the music, with chimed percussion skittling about in the shallows, presumably computer generated, but not unwelcomingly technological in any way.

In some ways the atmosphere of this EP seems slightly at odds with the approach, in that it is very warm and enveloping music, but most aspects of it have been constructed from elements which do not obviously lend themselves to that kind of result.  The lapses into warm washes of noise, the peculiar sounds which litter the songs… it all suggests something far harder to digest than the welcoming embrace of what you actually find yourself listening to.

So it’s ghostly, there’s a touch of the macabre toy story about it, and it’s far from pop music.  But after several listens I find myself liking this an awful lot.


Braeley Whaley – Flat Chest Rock

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Braeley Whaley on Bandcamp (listen and download for free from here)

5 witty ripostes to Braeley Whaley – Goo Bird EP

  1. avatar

    At the risk of chiming in with unequivocal praise, I have to say this sounds very good to me. ;^>

  2. avatar

    GOOD! There’s been a few reviews recently which have been greeted with near-boundless indifference, so it’s good to see at least someone is still listening to the acutal tunes.

  3. avatar

    Very reminisent of Japan’s David Sylvian and that Sakamoto chap.

  4. avatar

    this album feels like a lightning bolt just hit the tip of my penis

  5. avatar

    Like all the good stuff, it’s beautiful and odd. I fully approve.

Leave a Reply

essay writing service