Album Details

• Artist: Birdy
• Album: Birdy
• Label: Warner Bros
• Year of Release: 2011
• ME Rating:
• Reviewed by: carlita on 2013-01-07

Media

A firm believer that less really is more, for the past few weeks, I've found myself returning over and over again to Birdy's 2011 self-titled debut. Normally not in the market for British 15 year old musical prodigies' music, it might have been easy to miss for the casual pop music dabbler. So scarce in concept and execution, Birdy makes a lingering statement without the typical teen arsenal.  

Receiving unfair harsh criticism from others who apparently needed more gloss, bells and whistles, there's a delicate quality throughout, like watching one last vibrant petal about to fall ,hang on for dear life on a dying flower. Armed with a multitude of impressive producers such as James Ford and Rich Costey who made the right risky decision to go bare, without requiring hype and TV reality show machines to impress, they wisely let Birdy gently carve a place for herself within the underground piano pop siren niche among those twice her age. 

All you hear (and all you really need to hear) is her lullaby-singing voice, her piano, drums and soaring strings sparingly, which is more than enough to satisfy the soft female pop listener for a crisp 60+ minutes. She glides refreshingly through 14 tracks (including a live version of "People Help The People"), confidently tackling Bon Iver ("Skinny Love" being the highlight), National, Fleet Foxes, Phoenix and James Taylor (with an ambitious and potentially polarizing "Fire and Rain" cover). Her light and buoyant vocals make you wonder how she sits in the same category with those discussing calling people maybe, partying, smoking, carrying fake IDs, breaking up and never getting back together again. Flying above the competition, the album ascends. Meaty, moody, subtlety soulful and simple.

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