Release Date: 05.15.07
When listening to Au Revoir Simone’s debut LP, The Bird Of Music, it’s hard for me not to envision my high school French class. I blame part of that on the bands name, however their music would be fitting to the films we watched in that class; dreamy, summery, sweet and full of promise. Their Casio laden release follows suit with their previous effort, Verses of Comfort, Assurance & Salvation, but on this release the trio prove that they are much more than pretty faces dolled up in virginal white.
Chimes start off the record on the delicate “The Lucky One,” which sets the tone for the rest of the aural experience. Up next is the head bopping “Sad Song,” a very misleading title since the music itself is rather upbeat boasting horns, Postal Service beats and handclaps. The casual listener will notice that the album is full to the brim of lo-fi indie lullabies, but if dissected further, gems like “A Violent Yet Flammable World” bubble up to the surface. Warm harmonies, a layered beat, eerie synths and pixie-like vocals abound in this track. Throughout the record Au Revoir Simone remain unapologetic yet they don’t come across as pretentious. This gives them a childlike charm, something that is very apparent in the waltz “Don’t See The Sorrow.” Just when you start getting comfy with it, the trio turns it up with some more upbeat tracks, such as the dancy, almost Bananarama-esque “Dark Halls” and “Night Majestic.”
The Bird Of Music is for the people who love the pop of Stereolab and the atmosphere of Air mixed with the whimsy of Electrelane. “Open the doors and I’ll let you in,” sings Au Revior Simone’s Erika Foster on “Fallen Snow,” and that is exactly what you should allow to happen.
- Au Revoir Simone & Savoir Adore; Two NY Bands With French Names Who Want To Give You Free Music
- Au Revoir Simone Announces New LP
- Andrew Bird – “Fitz And The Dizzyspells” Live On Late Show With David Letterman
- Au Revoir Simone Release LP, Tour
- Will Sheff, Charles Bissell, Bird Of Youth @ Music Hall Of Williamsburg | Brooklyn
