Customer Reviews

Some Dusty

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

 

 

My original review of the import version of this release seems to have disappeared from Amazon ... but no matter. A year later my ardor for _Some Dusty_ has not waned, it is still my favorite release of 1999. A masterful mixture of early 70's AM radio pop with a decidedly British sensibility, it seems out of step with this age of musical excess. The stellar production values bring to mind the perfection that Bread was so often able to achieve with their meticulously crafted sound. It's truly the elements that make the masterpiece here ... I'll cycle through the disc just appreciating the drums or the bass lines and come away warm. Have you ever fallen in love with the background vocals of a song ("One Two Five")? Or the simple touch of well-placed strings ("Lazy Day")? Or the hopeful caress of a romantic line? "Come and hold my hand in the nighttime..." Never has the description simple beauty rung truer.

Some Dusty is nice Carpenter's/Bacharach influenced pop. The album was made a few years ago, but sounds like it comes out of 1974. Nice organnic production, no digital sheen, lots fender rhodes paino and trumpets tooting along. The singer has a nice clean voice and the songs sound like old AM radio singles.

A nice little buy if you want to get yourself a present but don't know what. It won't blow you away, but it is always good to have this on the shelf.

Please believe this review, for I do not hand out 5 star reviews for just anyone. When I first heard birdie, I thought, what a beautiful sound. I seeked out the album and was surprised to hear that it wasn't the only good song on the album, but that any of the songs would have caught my attention in a similar way.

Birdie blends perfect pop melodies with sublime arrangements, all capped by the soothing vocals of Debsey. The perfect indiepop band, for those of you who are devotees. If only they were more prolific and released a few more albums.

Birdie is a Brit-pop duo who specialize in retro pop with a dash of mystery. The duo (Deborah Wykes and Paul Kelly) were once members of St. Etienne's touring band, and share that group's love for breezy pop with subtle, rich layers. The single "Let Her Go" is undeniably infectious (the attached Quicktime video on the CD is pretty fun, too). There's a bit of Love in here, as well as likeminded Brit-pop bands like The Pastels. Recommended if you already know the Kindercore label, and you're getting tired of whimsical lyrics and just want to groove on some friendly pop.

you'll like this album. Melodic 60s-influenced pop music.

birdie makes no apologes for diving into 60's girl-group nostalgia. this shouldn't be surprising since debsey spent a seasons as sarah cracknell's (of st etienne) understudy. all those lessons paid off spectacularly. debsey's voice is warm, yet charmingly unaffected; pinched, but not nasally. her partner in crime, paul kelley, also spent time in the saint etienne camp as video and film director. the result? a sticky, sweet confection full of enough hammond organs, electric pianos, moogs, mellotrons, trumpets, flutes, xylophones to make lawrence welk proud.

but make no mistake: this isn't the lounge music you're used to hearing from mr. welk. rather this is classy, 'sophisticated' pop that hits all the right notes and reminds the listener of classic 60s girl groups. there are plenty of doo-wops and hand claps for everyone. it's the kind of album you listen to whilst sipping a frothy drink at some trendy, uptown coffee house in a major metropolitan city.

and this is completely unobjective, but they have amazing album covers. see 'triple echo' too. i love the pictures inside that album sleeve. very cool.

in short: a highly addictive, fructose laden affair sans all those empty calories and the bad aftertaste. a fun, sassy album.

Mellow, moving, grooving - great morning music, perfect for a spring or summer day - BIRDIE fly through a set of breezy 60's styled mod-pop with amazing style and ease. Simply one of the nicest records I own - a pure gem! Any fan of St. Etienne, (or any strain of sultry soul-styled Britpop) should own this, but Birdie have their own well crafted sound. Deb Wykes has the smoothest, most charming voice around. And can you dig those Mellotron, Hammond and Wurlitzer tones? By the time you get to track 9 "Linus", they turn up the heat with a chiming, fuzzy guitar riff that sends you right into retropop heaven. I want to drive around in a vintage convertable sportscar on a warm afternoon cranking this perfect record.