Customer Reviews

Birds of My Neighborhood

5 star:		(44)
4 star:		(18)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Many people claim that "Glow" is IM's best recording (and it is an amazing acoustic-folk-pop fusion), but I have to disagree. "Birds of My Neighborhood" is not only my favorite IM CD of all time, but probably in my top-5 favorite albums of all time.

The only way I can describe this cd is by calling it pure, beautiful, and moving. I originally bought the CD when it was first released, but was a little taken back by it because it was so simple and sparse compared to some of Innocence Mission's previous recordings. I started listening to it again last summer and was blown away.

The songwriting is truly amazing. The lyrics capture so much of what I am feeling at the moment (being 27 and dealing with abandoned childhood dreams and new decisions) that I almost feel as if this CD was created specifically for me. That's a rare thing, and I thought I had lost the ability to feel so strongly about music. It's good to know that some bands still have the power to move me.

If you like beautiful female voices, thought-provoking lyrics, andacoustic-based music (I hesitate to call it pure folk because there's so much more to it), you *have* to buy this CD. While it's not as upbeat as some of IM's previous releases, it really captures what the band is all about- brilliant songwriting and beautiful execution.

Innocence Mission have released four albums of simple, yet beautiful, music--all to little acclaim or fanfare. Few people outside a devoted following of fans seem to know of their haunting sound. Each successive release has only solidified their niche in music, and this CD is no exception. Now that the group has lost its drummer, the trio's sound is even more acoustic than ever. Karen Peris is not a traditional vocalist, her voice light and soprano. But she brings a beautiful intensity to the lyrics she writes and sings. Listen "The Lakes of Canada"--it will stay with you forever. The opening track, "Where Does the Time Go?" is equally beautiful. The entire CD creates a soothing mood, just right for relaxing. If you are willing to take a chance on a group, then give the Innocence Mission a try. It is quite likely that you will be hooked. Those of us who appreciate their serene simplicity look forward to each release from this talented trio.

When The Innocence Mission released their self titled debut in 1989, fans were more than impressed with Karen Peris's voice and her husband Don's guitar playing. However, the album was over produced by Larry Klein; most likely in an attempt to make the band radio-friendly. Luckily with each subsequent release, the band has gradually paired down their sound. "Birds of My Neighborhood" begins where the band left off with their best effort "Glow" which came out in 1995. "Birds" is filled with what is now trademark Karen Peris vocals - so beautiful you just can't figure out why she's not as famous as Joni Mitchell or Stevie Nicks. There's not the crunchy crackling Velvet Undergroundish sound that popped up frequently on "Glow" but instead almost every track delivers quiet contemplative guitar driven stories. The track "Snow" could have easily found a place on Neil Young's "After the Gold Rush" with it's haunting minor-key piano track mixed right behind Karen's vocals. Other standout moments are "The Lakes of Canada" written while the band was on tour with Emmylou Harris and "Birdless", another jaw-dropping beautiful song. The Innocence Mission have kept so consistant throught their 10+ year career with gorgeous musicianship and intelligent, often awe-inspriring lyrics. If they haven't given you goosebumps yet or made you shake your head in disbelief that they're just so great, wait to you see them perform on stage - it's an experience everyone should have. Birds of My Neighborhood is a perfect addition to the band's catalog and possibly their best next to "Glow". Support them - they deserve it and they're without a major label these days.

Karen Peris is often mentioned in the same breath as Natalie Merchant and the Sundays, but she has so far proven herself a more consistent and striking songwriter than either of those admirable artists. Birds has the unenviable task of living up to Glow, the nearly perfect prior release from the Innocence Mission. And if it doesn't quite match that work stride for stride, it offers plenty of its own pleasures. 'July', maybe the most beautiful recording of the year, is made all the more heartbreaking when you read of the primary songwriting couple's recent struggles to conceive a child. Thankfully, they did. The John Denver cover ('Follow Me') is another highlight; a song that easily could have been crafted by Peris herself. Contrary to other reviews posted here, there IS percussion on Birds (as in 'Snow'), but certainly less than on previous efforts. Most importantly, Peris' lyrical ambitions have not flagged. Her fractured imagery is some of the best going in popular music. If you're a newcomer to the band, I think Glow still serves as the best introduction. But if you're simply wondering if the latest holds up, fear not. It does.

okay, i have been an IM fan for a few years (about 15 now). this cd caught me off guard after the few previous. where is all the music? the drums? whappen??. well, good things come to he who waits. after a few listens, i was gently wrapped in the texture and nostalgia of this album.
when i was about 6 years old, i got deathly sick. i was feverish and going in and out of delerium. i don't remember a tremendous deal about it, except for the hushed cooing of my mother's lullabyes. it was then, in the middle of that terrible sickness, that i felt safe. that is what this cd does for me. it brings me back to the safety of my boyhood home and my family's love.
ok, i guess that's not a true critical review of this cd, but its what it means to me. go out and buy it. try it with the chicken soup!

I'm not typically won over by cuddly, sentimental music drenched in flighty optimism and wobbly attempts at angelic grace. Karen Peris is not exactly Polly Jean Harvey. It was with great surprise that I found myself loving this album, which my grandmother now listens to every morning.

As you could expect based on IM's previous outings, "Birds" is crafted with finely tuned simplicity and gorgeous melodies. But the other albums were overproduced and sounded almost insincere. Liberated from the pop aesthetic, they now reveal the deeper shades of their sunny portraits of Americana. Each song is a quiet meditation on everyday pain and sorrow, illuminated by both the sparkling vocals and the lyrics with a glimmer of hope. While at times it is cheesy (Peris relies on the words "light" and "dark" to describe her entire range of emotions), it never comes across as naive or insincere. This is largely because of the stark contrast between the airy acoustic melodies and the haunting harmonies, as well as the literary detail infused into every song. IM manage to capture the essence of a lonely winter in a small American town, the quiet torment of being locked inside with memories and regrets, as well as the warmth of a loved one, and the subtle triumph of emergence.

"Birds of My Neighborhood" even has a literary story arc, symbollically moving through the winter and reaching a climax of sorts with "July" before its ultimate catharsis in "Going Away," the culmination of all the bittersweet longing Peris suggests in each song. It's also tied together with rather obvious images of snow and birds (hell, it's even in the titles). Obvious though it may be, it's guileless and unpretentious - exactly what an album about spiritual healing needs to be. And it's extremely cohesive; even the more awkward songs ("I Was in the Air" and "Follow Me," an unnecessary John Denver cover) have a very natural place amidst a succession of stunningly beautiful ones, and it's hard to cringe at lyrics delivered with such a mellifluous voice. While it's as warm and comforting as the other reviewers suggest, it does't skimp on the extraordinarily human aching beneath its optimism.

oh, where do i begin when it comes to the innocence mission? it's so hard for me to put this brilliant and oft-underrated band into words without *gushing*.

being an adoring fan of "glow", i didn't know what to expect from "birds", and i will admit i was a bit wary of buying a sparse album by a band whose swirly arrangements were the reason i fell in love with their music. but i bought it, and i am an even bigger fan than i was before.

i'll start with one of the most important things to me...the lyrics. "birds" still has the same frail, simplistic feel of lyrics past, but this time the observation turns to introspection, with karen writing more about herself and the occurrences in her life. one recurring theme on "birds" is the struggle she and husband/guitarist don had to have a child. in songs like "july" and "snow", karen isn't afraid to add some darker paint to the picture. the endearing thing, though, is that she never forgets to put a dab of hope somewhere in her songs. the melodies are simultaneously haunting and lilting, and just as swirly with two clean guitars and an upright bass as when they were a full band with drums and amps and heavier production.

the innocence mission have managed to transcend pop and folk music with this album, blending the two with an ease usually possessed by your grandmother mixing up some sweet and soothing dessert for your youthful tummy.

After a painfully long four year wait, the Innocence Mission, one of the most literate bands in popular music, have finally released their fourth record. Every record since their self titled debut has evolved from what was probably heavily influenced production by record companies eager for a hit. This time the band, now on a smaller label, have been given free reign to create the beautiful music that has enchanted their small legion of devoted fans for years. Precise heartfelt songwriting, beautiful arrangements and the heartbreaking angelic voice of lead singer Karen Peris bless all the songs here. While each track stands on it's own individual merit, the standout here is "You are the Light," that contains the breathtaking sentiment, "And I can only say that I have hoped for you safety from fears and darkness," which is a perfect example of the delicate compasssion displayed in many of the bands songs. This is a recording to treasure and a band to respect for their uncompromising craft in a time where intellignet creativity is rarely honored. P.S. to the band: PLEASE DON'T MAKE US WAIT AS LONG FOR THE NEXT RECORD!

Many of my favorite artists are in the midst of re-releasing remastered discs -- Cocteau Twins, Siouxsie and the Banshees, the Cure, Depeche Mode, Peter Gabriel, etc. The results certainly improve the record, but so far it has not awakened anything new for me in the work.

This has changed with the release of the Innocence Mission's "Birds of my Neighborhood". The original release was the first without the band's drummer, and took on a far more acoustic and intimate sound than their earlier recordings. However, the remastering done here brings it to a new level. The guitars and vocal are clean and crisp, sounding as if the trio is playing in your living room. You can hear clearly the sounds of a home-made recording, which draws the listener in even further than the initial release.

This album is a joy to listen to, and it gives me hope that earlier Innocence Mission albums will see the same treatment and return to market. Do not let this release go by!

Birds of My Neighborhood is an album of hope and of joy. I find happiness and peace and wonder in the beautiful melodies and lyrics of the songs (and Karen has the most trascendently lovely voice I've ever heard). So many of the songs seem instantly recognizable. They make you feel a part of the story, and of the emotions of the author. There are so many moving lines, and passages in this album. My favorite song, Lakes Of Canada (actually, one of my all-time favorite songs--it's that good) has my favorite moment--Karen sings:

"Talk of loneliness in quiet voices, I am shy, but you can reach me.."

You wish you were walking in that circle of light with her, hearing her confessions and sharing your own. So many of these songs have that effect--"Where does the Time Go" (a truly beautiful song); "July"; "Birdless"; "I Haven't Seen This Day Before" and others evoke such emotion and compassion that you wish you could live in the world she invokes (much as you do when reading a good, long, involving novel). It's remarkable. I've often wished that we lived in a World where this was the popular music--I think it would be a better place. Oh well...but you can have a little part of that better world by buying this wonderful album of music. Buy it, and give it a few good listens, and I believe you you will be moved by its beauty, and maybe be encouraged that there are still people who care so much about their craft, and their message. (Oh--I highly recommend listening to Birds during your daily commute to work--I swear when someone is tailgating you at 65 MPH's, you still feel peaceful and happy, and don't let them bother you in the least!! It really works!!)