Customer Reviews

Featuring "Birds"

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Is it indie? Is it some avant-garde spin on prog-rock? I don't know. It's not like Featuring "Birds" is all that difficult to get a feel for--the struggle between death and delicacy is pretty self-apparent. Two divorced veteran indignants, Janet Weiss of Sleater-Kinney, and Sam Coomes from Heatmiser (Elliot Smith, anyone? Half of the songs poignantly, yet lovingly, trash him) team up to depress us all with clever lyrics and emotionally wrought chord changes that I can't describe any better than what Lloyd-Webber's dramatic passion would sound like if it wasn't cheese.

The harmony between Coomes and Weiss is as fragile as their apparent will to live, which makes it all the more beautiful. At their best, for instance, "Hard To Turn Me On," Quasi can be gut-wrenchingly personal. Judging from my knowledge of this band, this song is downright GIVING to the listener. There are some weak points on this album, but that's like criticising the Mona Lisa because portraits have been done before. Bad analogy, nevermind... "Happiness is Guaranteed," the leadoff song, is a little too heavy-handed, and "The Happy Prole" has been done better by older bands with the same philosophy, but what can you do, eh?

Listening to Sam Coomes sing, I can tell he really means every word. I can feel the self-importance as well, but that comes with the territory. "Never Wanna See You Again" almost feels like one of those cheeseball triumph songs of a generation. I swear, and I listen to a good deal of music, the first time I heard this album, I actually felt optimistic concerning modern music. Quasi would be ashamed...

I clearly remember the first time I saw Quasi. I had no clue who they were, but they absolutely blew me away. The first time I listened to "Birds" I had the same experience. Live they reminded me of Sonic Youth, though on the album the only thing that remotely speaks of Sonic Youth is the first 30 seconds of "Our Happiness Is Guaranteed", which is full of Janet Weiss's (also drummer for Sleater-Kinney) strong drumming and Sam Coomes's (formerly of Donner Party and Heatmiser) chaotic roxichord playing. The other thing that I think reminded me of Sonic Youth was the power and genuine love of music that this band has. And this is no glossed over "Bull in the Heather", this is "Kill Yr Idols". From that first 30 seconds to the beautiful song "Only Success Can Fail Me Now" which concludes the album, it keeps my attention entirely. This is indie rock at its finest, and no song sounds like a filler. Sam's lyrics about dead end! jobs ("Paranoid and tired/You quit before you're fired/But they got you in the hole/So you play the happy prole"), broken relationships ("If I kept the things inside at least I never lied") and all the other things that make life suck ("Pay your rent/Pay your bills/Pay the doctor for your pills") come across with humor. What also takes their songs to a whole new level is that the woman that Sam is singing about is sitting 10 feet away, drumming away. This record is absolutely NOT whiney or pretentious. The only artist besides Sonic Youth I can think to compare them to is Sam Coomes's former band-mate Elliott Smith, because, like Elliott, they have very original sweet sounding songs but the lyrics are honest and, um, not so sweet.Unlike Elliott though, their songs are not quiet and are slightly more upbeat sounding. I could blabber on and on about the genius of this band, but i'll let you find out for yourself. Please get this album now, because t! hen you will be one of the lucky ones who heard of Quasi be! fore their world domination, which i'm sure will be coming any day soon. And, forget all this critic-type stuff, this record has it where it counts-meaning that is just sounds really cool to listen to.

"Featuring 'Birds'" was purchased, by me, on a rainy night in a really cool used CD store about six months ago. I bought it on a whim, because an Internet friend of mine seemed to be really super-duper obsessed with it, and even named her website after it. I knew she had good tastes in music, so, without even hearing Quasi before in my life, I decided to take a chance.

When I brought it home and unwrapped the shrink wrap and played it, I, at first, didn't like it too much. I was into early R.E.M. and new-wavish alternative from the eighties, and wasn't particularly into indie rock. It wasn't until (oddly enough) "It's Hard To Turn Me On" played when I started getting into it. By the time the last song ended ("Only Success Can Fail Me Now"), I was completely hooked. I put the CD on repeat and read a good portion of a novel I wanted to read for long time.

The lyrics are absolutely wonderful. Everyone knows the perfectly clever opening to "California," but there's so much more here, too -- for example, the few lines in "Ape Self Prevails In Me Still" aptly describe how I feel about myself right now. "The desire to disappear, yet remain here/It is clear, dear - ape self prevails in me still." I want to get out of this awful small town, but I somehow, in some strange way, I feel compelled to stay. Simple, yeah, but perfect.

"I Never Want To See You Again" is, besides "Only Success Can Fail Me Now," probably the standout here. The intensity of the performance combined with Sam Coome's passionate delivery hits me every single time.

There are no weak tracks in here, unless you count "Birds" (a minute and a half of birds making annoying noises) as a real song, which it isn't. Just a nifty little segue, pretty much.

The last track, "Only Success Can Fail Me Now," is simply one of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard in my short, dumb little life. As another reviewer said, you never, ever want this song to end. It ends this album on a very high note.

If you haven't heard "Featuring 'Birds'" yet, you really need to. It might not hit you right away, but soon enough, in full effect, it will -- and you will be hooked.

A sweet and simple album full of beautiful northwest indie pop songs. Sam's voice clunks unashamedly over the albums often bleak lyrics (my favorite being "life is dull, life is gray/ at it's best it's just okay/ but I'm happy to report/ life is also short" at the beginning of the bop-along-in-your-car gem "California") while clanging post-grunge guitars and ex-wife Janet's drums beat out one great tune after another. Great live band, and this album brings it right into your living room. Hilariously depressed.

Quasi's Sam Coombs has a wonderfully bleak world view, and he's not afraid to share it. The flat out awesome "Featuring Birds" showcases Coombs' thoughts on life, love, and work with wonderfully witty and cynical lyrics backed by surprisingly upbeat music. A once married duo, Coombs and Janet Weiss create more racket than one would expect from a drums-and-keyboard combination...andin the process they come off sounding truly unique in today's indie music scene. As good as the music is, however, it remains Sam's show, with lyrics like "they say hold on to you r dreams / that play good on TV / but never worked for me / so now I have to find a way / to occupy my time / until the day I die / 'cause I give up". Lyricists like Mr. Coombs don't come along every day. he's great in the meolody department as well, with Weiss contributing perfectly complementary backing vocals. She even takes the lead on one song, the excellent "Tomorrow You'll Hide". Quasi may have gained a lot of attention due to the fact that they have supported Elliott Smith as his backing band, and also because Weiss happnes to also play for Sleater-Kinney. "Featuring Birds" demonstartes that these two don't need such associations to grab attention: they have enough talent to equal, if not outshine, both those groups.

I heard 'I Never Want To See You Again' on an NME CD ages ago, and have been in love with the band ever since. They tread that inconceivably fine line between bleak optimism and cheery lament that gives a joyfully poignant edge to each and every one of their wretchedly brilliant tracks - each fiercely unique and yet impeccably consistent with the sound of the album. I was a bit shocked when I found out there were just two of them - the Sleater-Kinney drummer and the bassist from Elliot Smith's old band, Heatmiser. And guess what - if you just buy music that gets good reviews and judge a record by it's publisher, you're going to end up paying money for something you genuinely dislike. So try listening to it first, eh?

...and I discover something new every time I hear it. I may be listening to it for another twenty. This is my favorite album of the past few years.

Delicious black humor, to be sure, but what seems to go overlooked in most reviews I've seen is what a marvelous sense of melody Sam Coomes has. There is no filler material here either, except for, ironically, "Birds" (it just two minutes of bird calls). Excepting that, I love this album, start to finish.

I guess people have different opinions, but I totally disagree with the negative/indifferent reviews here. These are fantastic melody and feeling-driven songs and corny as it sounds, they convey real feelings which I feel I can relate greatly to. A great great great CD. It's doesn't sound hardcore indie (it's too melodic) but it's not mainstream pop either (from the subject matter <not dumbly optimistic> and the instrumentation, featuring Sam Coomes' Rocksichord?) :D I definitely recommend it.

this recording is more varied than r+b transmogrification. the songs are almost all about the monotony of life (and thats why we love mr. coomes), but it has many rockin melodies, as well.

Every track on this album is a brillant gem. I've been listening to "Birds" for over a 18 months and it still doesn't feel tired. Strong melodies over raw rhythm and bass w/ a super heavy dose of bummer (wink wink) lyrics is a treat for the ears. It truly is fun to listen to.