Chaotic, contorted and extremely noisy, Birds In Row sounds to me like a desperate protest. Listen throughout several times this “You, Me, and The Violence” and – honestly – still don’t came through anything else then anger and – eventually – bitterness. Without reading the printed lyrics, this raw fury seems lost in the hurricane of the noise.
The first three tracks are running through like a night train, “Guillotine” it’s their first track where they leave the tempo slower and the riffs with the screaming vocals finally making some – but not too much – sense. The following “Walter Freeman” is also a slower, but still weighty enough chaotic Hardcore piece while surprisingly, the very next “Last Last Chance” it’s an experimental dark Blues, in a very post-everything sense which blows directly into the explosive title track. One of their best butcheries throughout.
And like in a nightmare or a loop, everything comes back to rape your ears all over again starting with the slow grinding “Grey Hair”, through the fastest “The Illusionist” and the almost anthematic “Police & Thieves” (The Clash [dis]connection?). Then again, the closing “Lovers Have Their Say” it’s an escapade into smooth chords, acoustic teasing, counselor softness, being humanly gentle even when things are getting a little bit rough. It’s an almost 13 minutes long trip, a Shoegaze kind of closing with large, foggy spaces for a brutally disturbing material.
Almost complete secrecy (and mystery) around this band, no bio, no useful background info about them, quite strange photos and promo video, three disturbed guys from Laval, France, delivering abrasive, but still emotional Post-Hardcore fueled by Punk fury.
Tracklist:
01 – Pilori
02 – There Is Only One Chair In This Room
03 – Cages
04 – Guillotine
05 – Walter Freeman
06 – Last Last Chance
07 – You, Me and The Violence
08 – Grey Hair
09 – Cold War Everyday
10 – The Illusionist
11 – Police & Thieves
12 – Lovers Have Their Say
Throatruiner & Vitriol Records released “Collected”, a collection of their previous EPs in April 2012, and honestly, somehow I digested much easily that release with their earlier songs then this album, but obviously, it’s also a matter of taste and probably, of mood. Worth to give them a listening and as always, can pay, or can download it for free by the generosity of Throatruiner Records, but then again, art deserves support!!
Birds In Row – official Site
Birds In Row @ Facebook
Throatruiner Records
Deathwish Inc.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r7ZQoVFm3lc]
