It’s funny that the first two things that popped into my mind when I heard Yellowbirds was early My Morning Jacket and Wes Anderson. The two seem to be at opposite poles. My Morning Jacket is raw and rough and barn burning in the best sense of each of those words. Wes is hoity-toity, minimal yet grandiose. Yellowbirds takes bits and pieces from each and makes it their own. They are raw in instrumentation. The guitars, airy percussion, and spacey slide remind you they are a rock band. But it’s the subtleties, the background sounds and charming vocal inflections that add just enough polish to make them seem eloquent. Perhaps what really brought out the Anderson comparison is the way Sam Cohen is able to blend a sense of emotionalism and detachment in the way he carries his vocals. Their new record The Color is a practice in balancing the two poles and is executed without a moment of hesitation. Check out “Beneath The Reach of Light” below:
