Louisville natives Black Birds of Paradise have created something delightfully strange with their latest record, “Terror Bird.” The five-piece, which describes themselves as psychedelic lounge metal, is even more eclectic than the name suggests, in both their instrumentation and lyrical content.
The title track opens the album with a near five-minute instrumental that manages to be dense, disorienting and welcoming, all simultaneously. A guitar riff rolls along, accented by a vibraphone, while thunderous drums and noise build behind them. While there are a lot of sounds, they’re never off-putting, the noise is never abrasive. It’s a sort of organized chaos that makes a fun, catchy hook that plays into the rest of the record.
The second track, “The Fuck You Say?” took me for a loop, with a very different tone from the opener. The song has this anger, suggested by lyrics like “turn away from the slap that’s comin’ for your face,” but doesn’t give it away too much with its sound. The dissonant noise is replaced by an empty, spacey feel and multi-layered vocals that give the impression of floating. The song carries you along, instead of pulling you, like the opener does.
The album continues this sound alternation between coarse and psychedelic in a way that keeps the album enthralling for the whole of its 37-minute length. The albums explores several different directions, like with the song “Hold On,” whose hook “hold on, time heals” and peppy instrumentation make the song not only refreshing, but indicative of the band’s talent in exploring other genres.
The song “Black Bird Way,” —a funky, muffled instrumental— closes the album in the same tone that it begins with. It’s a fun, head-bobbing track that works as a way of winding down the record and ending the trip. Ultimately, if you’re looking for something different, yet accessible, or just a good time, this is the place to look.
More information on Black Birds of Paradise can be found on the band's Facebook page. Their First album, B.B.o.P, can be purchased on their Bandcamp.
"Terror Bird" can be purchased at Modern Cult and Guestroom Record and is also available on iTunes, Spotify and other digital services.
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