By Don Allred
Columbus combo Bird And Flower began as Eve Searls' one-woman band. "I like the anonymity of a band name," Searls explained. "So it was a matter of finding one that I didn't completely hate, and I was really into the Bird and Flower style of Japanese ink painting."
As in her visual inspirations, Searls' sonic shading unifies sweet and sharp contrasts: High, blue, clear vocal tones, plus rough-and ready stringed instruments, connect with eerie, catchy keyboards. In the studio version of "Hot Boots," lively beats just naturally dance all over a deadbeat lover: "Now I'm all alone, don' tyou feel clever/But with my hot boots, honey, I got friends forever." Personal struggles continue, but we can always tune in "Radio Song," where a tide of melody could get whole roomfuls of people swaying, sincerely serenading (and advising) each other, "I wouldn't trust you/I wouldn't trust anybody.".
Bird And Flower's visions of alone-together sociability evidently got the speculative Americana group Black Swans' Jerry DeCicca to seek out Searls, who had so far tucked away a few tracks on MySpace. She found herself agreeing to open a 2007 Black Swans show, her first concert performance. Soon, Searls was playing keyboards for lovelorn post-punks PolyAtomic,while contributing mercurially compatible songs, vocals, and instrumental versatility to equally wry folk-pop tribe Super Desserts. The big Super Desserts also made her "feel safe," said the often uprooted former military dependent. Yet DeCicca also found or encouraged this conditioned nomad to be ready once again for ventures, via the co-produced, judiciously bewitching 2009 Bird And Flower debut album, Here We Cease Our Motion.
Bird And Flower's live vibe still startles as well. In case the target of "Hot Boots" is having too much fun with its studio groove, BaF's Boston podcast version springs a cross-cut strut, courtesy of Tyler Evans' banjo and Searls' ukulele. Friday's show also includes vocalist-accordionist Amber Jacks, multi-instrumentalist Bobby Miller, and versatile string man Erik Kang (just back from touring with Margot And The Nuclear So-And-So's), appearing here on lap steel. Searls promises "at least a couple new songs," adding that she'll be sporting a vintage omnichord. "You can even strum the keypad like a harp. It's pretty Tron." (For more on that 1982 cinemasterpiece: Tron )
Bird and Flower will play Jan. 6 and 28 @ The Basement. For more information, please visit https://promowestlive.com/our-venues/the-basement or call
(614) 461-5483
No comments:
Post a Comment