Album Review: “Upper Air” Bowerbirds

Bowerbirds
Upper Air
[Dead Oceans]

Upper Air features lofty songs and soft lyrics over a combination of interesting instruments. Songs like “Beneath The Trees” are calming. The female vocals in the song make the track sound like a tune off of an early Bright Eyes or the Moldy Peaches album. The song sounds sweet, without being saccharine. “House of Diamonds” recalls the vibe Bowerbirds had on their first album Hymns For A Dark Horse: a confessional, acoustic vibe. “Silver Clouds” is the softest track on the album with perhaps the most emotional lyrics (“show me how I’m a man, show me the light”). For former fans of Bowerbirds this is nothing new. The album does not show much artistic improvement from prior albums, but that is not to say the album is not good. This album may be hit or miss.