Strange Birds’ Little Victories reviewed by Jersey Beat

Paul Silver from Jersey Beat offers a thoughtful review of Strange Birds’ Little Victories:

“Back in the ‘90s, I remember Louisville as having some good bands that featured an emo or post hardcore sound. Bands like Metroschifter, Shipping News, Sunspring, Slint, and more were putting out great records. Strange Birds adds to this legacy, though featuring a transplant from Kansas City, Missouri. Brandon Butler, the guitarist and vocalist, is better known from his time in Boys Life, while drummer Ella Jean Jumpkins and bassist Brian Meurer are homegrown talents, having grown up playing in bands in the local Louisville scene (note, this recording features Matt Olsen on bass). The songs on this LP have a subdued, pensive quality, as one might expect given their homebase and pedigree. But even within this they’ve got a wide range of sounds going on. The album opens with jangly indie pop in the title track, and immediately after we get the understated indie blended with a bit of Americana of ‘BMX Summer’ and ‘Take You Anywhere.’ ‘The Old House’ starts out with a striding indie sound, but as the song evolves, the guitar takes on a bit of '80s goth tone for a time. I really like ‘Darker Still,’ which is one of the more wistful songs, starting tentatively, but getting thicker and more emphatic as the song grows. The use of a guitar wailing in the background is very effective at setting a tone, as are the whispery vocals. As the song fades out, there are ghostly whispers and ambient sounds, providing an air of mystery. ‘Roll with the Punches’ feels out of place after that. It’s another pleasant slow head-bobber that mixes hazy indie with an Americana twang that fits in better with the earlier part of the album. But it’s with the penultimate track, ‘Blood Currents,’ that the album hits its heights, in my opinion. It’s the most experimental track of the album, featuring a meandering melody and a spoken word track buried in the mix that consists of deep buzzing bass, softly tentative drums, and lush guitars. It’s a gorgeous sonic piece of art. The album closes with ‘Deleted Scenes,’ which brings in a noisy indie sound and a song about the dismantling of the ‘American Dream,’ and how it’s become nothing but a series of ‘deleted scenes,’ everything good about life being cut away from us. I miss listening to the music coming out of Louisville. But now we have Strange Birds, and they’re a worthy heir to the mantle.”