Birdbrain

Bliss (TVT)
by Scott Hefflon

I’m biased as all shit about this one, but who in Boston isn’t? Joey Ammo and the Birdbrain Bliss boys have been a staple on the scene for almost two years. Joey wrote for us for almost a year. I laid out our first anniversary issue at his place when I was “between homes.” We’ve gotten stupid drunk together and fought like territorial cocks. If I thought his band sucked, I’d relish every word of slamming the shit out of them, and toast to my infalliable integrity afterwards. Luckily, I really dig Birdbrain’s music, their sincerity, and the thoroughness of their work. More than just trippy/grunge/pop/rock with hometown lyrics, Birdbrain can self-produce better than most “real” producers, self-direct the artwork, and self-promote well enough to get a label deal in less than two years time. They ought to teach a course ’cause these guys are not just diddling around.

Hometown ethic drips from every pore of Bliss. Songs like “Hometown” and “Roslindale” describe the hopelessness and necessity of inner strength that comes with growing up in the broken down expectations of the suburbs. You get a very honest look into the lives of these life-long friends on a day-to-day level, seen through the somewhat jaded eyes of an introspective idealist. There is both friendship and desolation here. The sample of Dennis Hopper’s neighborhood scene in Blue Velvet makes a great intro to “Roslindale.” While it’s slower and more groove-oriented than most of their songs, the slick, snarling harmonies strike a chord deep in me, making it one of my favorites on the disc. While the similarities to Nirvana and Smashing Pumpkins are there, Birdbrain twist the styles to their own needs. To quote “Legend In My Spare Time” by The Bloodhound Gang, “If you ain’t ever been to the suburbs/ Don’t ever come to the suburbs/ Cause you wouldn’t understand the suburbs.”