Customer Reviews

Again & Again & Again & Again

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The Bird and the Bee are a classically trained duo... the multi-instrumentalist Greg Kurstin and the great vocalist Inara George create lush indie-Jazz-swooshing melodies. Kurstin has played keyboards for Beck and worked with the Flaming Lips, and Inara's voice is reminiscient of Sia, Feist, Bat for Lashes, etc. The music is great, and for the price, this is a great buy.

"Again and Again" is one of those songs that has gotten a lot of attention from a commercial using it -- in this case, a little Apple Mac-related movie.

It's also one of the poppier, sprightlier songs that electro-indiepop band the Bird and the Bee has turned out. And the "Again and Again and Again and Again" EP does it again -- it pairs this single with a couple other songs from their self-titled album, plus an additional remix of the eloquently named "F*cking Boyfriend." What a good sample.

"Again and again and again/Do it again, do it again," Inara George sings sweetly over a rippling keyboard melody. Then it busts out into a bouncy tambourine-and-guitar melody, with eerie synth winding through it like streamers. "It's a shame, it's a shame/It's a perfect shame/Creep under my door and we do it again, oh... You're so stupid and perfect/And stupid and perfect/I hate you, I want you..."

That's one of the poppier tunes of the EP, and things get more mellow and relaxed for "I'm A Broken Heart." It's all gentle jazzy rhythms, xylophones and trumpets, too peppy to be a ballad and too laid-back to be catchy. And for a song with this title, George sounds rather perky as she sings, "I'm a broken heart/My love is bleeding."

Then there's "F*cking Boyfriend" -- if you just listened to the light, twinkly melody, you'd never pick up on its distinctly un-sparkly theme ("To torture all the other girls/You keep me by your side?"). And finally there's a remix of that song by Peaches -- very dancy, sharp-edged and full of clubhouse synth, with George's voice sounding robotic.

The Bird and the Bee really specialize in upbeat little pop songs with less upbeat lyrics, and the three unremixed songs on this EP (which are also on their debut album) are good examples. Even the relatively upbeat "Again and Again" song is full of romantic confusion and conflicts, including the line, "Say my name, say my name/say my STU-PID NAME!" and wavers between adoration and frustration.

Which is pretty good for an album with such simple lyrics. The Bird and the Bee have only one real weakness -- they tend to repeat a single line many times ("I try, I try, I try...") per song, and often stick to vague, oblique expressions of feeling ("Wish, wish for the summer/Want, to pull over under/I wipe my tears away, away").

Fortunately that's the only real flaw with this EP -- George's sweet, soulful voice is lovely, even when she demands "Would you be my f*cking boyfriend?" or sings something grumpy. And she's backed by some truly lovely instrumentation -- lots of sprightly guitar, colourful synth pops and warbles, tambourines and cymbals, and a backdrop of warm, buttery trumpets in "I'm a Broken Heart."

Those with the Bird and the Bee's debut album will already own most of the "Again and Again and Again and Again" EP, but those seeking an introduction to their delightful, sweetly grumpy indiepop should check this out.

At this point, I'm totally in love with this duo. They just have so much style, but they are so modern on their take on that vintage sound. They know who they are and they embrace it with every track. This is probably my favorite EP from them. All four songs (well, three songs and one remix) are simply stunning.

A warning though, that `Boyfriend' song is titled as is for a reason.

The EP jumps off with `Again & Again', a bouncy and repetitive (but not in a bad way) little ditty that is playful and almost childish, which works gloriously for the songs theme and tone. It has the naivety of a children's song, which plays to the songs depiction of the typical love/hate relationship.

You feel like children.

`I'm a Broken Heart' is one of my favorite tracks off of their self titled album. It has a mellower pace and it really exemplifies their influences. They sound a lot like She & Him here (Zooey Deschanel & M. Ward's duo, another great band you should look into if you like The Bird and The Bee) and it works beautifully. The song has a sincerity to it, an almost darkness that I really love. It's soft and tender and the chorus has impeccable flow. I love the smoky jazz feel to this song.

Those horns are flawless.

And then we have that `Boyfriend' song. Yes, it's rather vulgar. It doesn't matter. The song is virtually flawless. It has a sharpness to it that cuts through the pop sound effortlessly to expose a real edge. The musical arrangement here is stunning, with just the right amount of beeps, tweaks and pops. Even better is the Peaches Remix. Here is a techno-esque remix that actually reimagines the song. It's like The Bird and The Bee meets Lords of Acid, and that totally got me all riled up. This isn't your typical regurgitated techno beat; it is thoughtful, powerful and complimentary.

It's even better than the original!

Some have commented on their simple lyrical structure (loved your review BTW, E.A. Solinas) but I personally find this to be a total PLUS for them. There is something about the simplicity provided that adds a uniqueness to this band I totally gush all over. They are who they are, and it works beautifully. They can convey so much without saying much at all, and to me that is an accomplishment.

I cant get enough of this familiar yet refreshing sound!!

This band is fabulous!!

This was not the music that I was expecting. I found it to have repetitive themes of the same ideas, and some rather vulgar use of the f-word. Too bad, because the melodies were good and the singing voices lovely. Not my type of music, I guess. I listened to the cd twice, then threw it away. It didn't grow on me.