Album Review: Bird – Held Here Together

If you’re a fan of folk music on the edge of pop and experimental energies, definitely check out this new album from Bird. The sounds lean towards a mature, adult-contemporary style at times as well. Regardless of how you characterize the genre, it’s a sound that’s sure to stand out from the crowd. Let’s get into some of the unique soundscapes of the album.

The opening track “The Film” has an atmospheric energy and a unique vibe for the mix. It feels at times cinematic, while other times taking on more of an experimental folk vibe. The layers with the lead vocal absolutely soar, especially on the chorus. It’s not the average folk sound and that’s what makes it stand out from the crowd so well (yet the banjo flavor under the surface makes it feel grounded and raw, too).

“The Boy and the Swan” has a cathartic style to the acoustic flavor. The cinematic elements in the background give additional depth to the sound, but the overall style feels like a contemporary take on folk music. “How Soon Is Now” has a similar string-based folk energy to it, with a bit more of a mysterious sonic structure. The lead vocal cuts through the production well with a clarity that makes it easy for the listener to follow the lyrics about being an heir.

“Winter Rose” has a bluesy, gritty vibe to it right from the start. The lower string register gives it a sense of being a bit ominous. I would consider this more of a theatrical or artful style of folk music. While it doesn’t connect with some of the more stripped down folk that we tend to feature, it’s still an intriguing style. “Havana Garden” is almost the logical opposite of “Winter Rose,” providing a light and airy composition style. The vocal harmonies right from the start make it feel like a comforting hug in the middle of the album. It’s clearly my favorite on the album, allowing tender harmonies to lull the listener into a nice relaxing state of mind.

The cover of the iconic Dylan track “Lay Lady Lay” takes up a significant spot. The vocal backing is definitely an interesting choice. What I like most about the song, though, is hearing how Bird’s vocal intonation seems to highlight different lyrics than the original. It is, of course, a romantic song, but there’s something about the reimagination here (particularly with the organ) that makes it resonate with a different sort of incisiveness.

The acoustic guitar on “Roy” feels like a bit more of the conventional folk that we typically feature on our site. The storytelling energy from the vocal is also more in our wheelhouse. That said, once the orchestral element enters the track, it feels a bit more theatrical than our typical style (but it is still nice). The following track “Daddy” is an intriguing song with another mysterious melodic structure. The vocal intonation on this one feels more like a storytelling country song; it works well with telling the story of this angry person who struggled in life.

The album comes to a close on “Things Get Broken,” a song that reminds me a bit of something like Joni Mitchell might have written. It has that folk sincerity to it, which I appreciate. Honestly, as nice as the cinematic work is on some of the other tracks, I’d be interested to hear a full album of Bird making music like this. It’s easily my second favorite on the album and a wonderful, peaceful way to bring the album to a close.

All told, this album is certainly an adventure in different textures within folk music. Some of the production decisions are really impressive, taking these songs and making them grow into large performance pieces. That said, my favorites are “Havana Garden” and “Things Get Broken,” two of the simpler tracks on the album that cut through and reflect a bit more of the healing aspect of the music. This is a solid album that’s sure to connect for fans of contemporary folk music.