If the last two offerings from Bowerbirds' ongoing song-a-month series Small Songs from a Small Tiny House were a bit jarring for you, the latest addition "September" should certain set things right. Done (for now) with their R&B leanings, "September" sees the Bowerbirds returning to a basic folk aesthetic - guitar in hand like a campfire songs. Containing their trademark nature imagery, "September" is far more straightfowardly folky than anything the Bowerbirds have offered up in their three song career. Functioning more as a tribute to their influences than anything else, it's not until Phil Moore's vocals cut out and an instrumental section begins filled with hand claps and the high notes of a piano played percussively occur when you get a feeling of it truly being a Bowerbirds song.
And it makes sense, these short song experimentations are stretching the trio's creative boundaries in a way that challenges their cultivated sound. The little hints and nudges we get that seem to say "This is a Bowerbirds song" occur more as unconscious notifiers as things the band truly enjoy to put into their songs than anything more methodical. That's what's so enjoyable about watching the evolution of ideas in these 2-3 minute songs, we see the Bowerbirds step more and more out of their comfort zone and both try new thing and find inspiration in new things. It'll be a treat not only to hear the rest of the year's compositions but also to see the takeaway/effects of Small Songs from a Small Tiny House.
Listen to the eighth track from Bowerbirds' Small Songs from a Small Tiny House "September":
A music blog dedicated to my ever-expanding tastes. A musical journey with endless pitstops along the way. Bringing you the best of what I see and hear.
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