Firekites – The Bowery
I had intended on reviewing Firekites’ album The Bowery a while ago, but I guess it never got past the point of being just a draft. I liked what I wrote, but I think I’ll just scrap that draft and write up a quick one that gets right to the point. Firekites’ album The Bowery was released in 2008, so I’m in no way claiming to be on top of things here, but if most of you are like me, then you’ve never heard of them to start with. And that’s a shame and the very reason I’m introducing all of you to this great band.
Fans of Owen or possible American Analog Set should take to Firekites immeditately. Right from the opener, “Last Ships”, you’ll know whether Firekites’ music is for you or not. It’s music like theirs that make me miss sitting in the library for hours listening to my ipod, playing my “study mixes”, full of bands like The Books, Boards of Canada, Eluvium, and so on. Bands that I wouldn’t necessarily get super excited to just pop in while riding in my car, but ones that hold a special place in my musical heart because I spent hours with their music in the background. Don’t get me wrong though, I sure as heck don’t miss the actual act of studying for hours in the library. That, my friends, I’m sure of.
But Firekites falls in somewhat of a grey area for me. It has worked as background music as I sat quietly and read my new book, but I’ve also found myself wanting to play it on my way to work in my car, and being just as happy hearing it “actively” with my full attention. To me, I think that should make you perk your ears up a bit, because if you’ve read the Perch loyally over the years, rarely does an album work in both ways for me. So, take note my friends. This album is a keeper.
Stand-outs include “Last Ships”, “Mirror Miracle”, “Same Suburb, Different Park”, and “Autumn Story”, which has an amazing video you should watch below. The whole album really works as a whole, but if you have to start at a few songs, start with those. Otherwise, sit down and listen to the whole thing straight through. It’s really that good. Check out the mp3’s below and the video for “Autumn Story”, and let me know what you think in the comments.
(all the links, videos, and tunes after the jump!)
Firekites
The Bowery
Perch Score: 8.799/10
I can’t get the whole album to stream, just 30 second clips, but click here to head over to Imeem and stream the whole album.
Last Ships [mp3]
Autumn Story [mp3]
Autumn Story
Same Suburb, Different Park
