I Love You, But Not This: #1 The Wooden Birds – Magnolia (2009)

May 17, 2009 at 12:38 am
Posted in concerts, music Tags: , , , , , , ,

I’m having trouble wrapping my ears around far too many albums by artists I love as of late. This column is an attempt at understanding why.

The-Wooden-Birds
(The Wooden Birds via Woxy)

The Wooden Birds – False Alarm

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Sound reasons probably exist explaining why all anyone can say about The Wooden Birds is, “If you loved American Analog Set you’re likely to enjoy this band.” My guess: perhaps because The Wooden Birds, as a band, feel like an answer to the question “What do you do with the American Analog Set when you can’t do anything with the American Analog Set?”

“Percussive.” It’s the one word you’ll see repeated ad nauseum regarding The Wooden Birds. Once you get past the obligatory Neil Young head nods, the comparisons in vocal timbre to Ben Gibbard, reviews are awash with the word, “percussive.” This. Is. Sloppy. Criticism. The Wooden Birds two-step, they let the bass lead, they even boast a dedicated percussionist, and still, they are not what I would consider a percussive band. And I think the problem, in general, is that everything this band does will be criticized (or lauded, as it were) by what it does not. The Wooden Birds are not The American Analog Set. The Wooden Birds’ songs are not as keyboard-heavy as American Analog Set’s earlier songs and so must be “percussive.” However — and this the most glaring flaw with the band and the aforementioned branding — The Wooden Birds’ arrangements are nowhere near as interesting percussively as American Analog Set’s non-keyboard-heavy later songs.

Which songs? This song off American Analog Set’s superb 2005 Everything Ends In Spring EP.

American Analog Set – The Green Green Grass

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‘Cause maybe you want him
Like you want me
Only truly
- American Analog Set “The Green Green Grass”

When I attended The Wooden Birds’ concert at Mercury Lounge on April 10th, Andrew Kenny’s bass, an Epiphone Thunderbird, bore the words “I’ll shoot you through a door” upon its pickguard. And I believed it. A 21st century promise of love. Unfortunately, for fans of the American Analog Set, every song played like “Choir Vandals,” except less memorable. In fact, the only time people enthusiastically moved was when the band launched into American Analog Set’s Know By Heart-favorite “Aaron and Maria.” According to Kenny, they make a point of playing at least one American Analog Set song per set; it’s clear why.

The former beauty of American Analog Set was their insistence on shaping a song around the rhythm of Kenny’s heartbeat, album after album. Vivacity. Playfulness. Sheepish flirtation. These were visceral qualities endearing American Analog Set to its numerous devotees. The Wooden Birds offer a meek, albeit earnestly warmhearted display of competence, and if that sounds harsh, good — it ought to — because there’s overwhelming evidence indicating these talented musicians are capable of much, much more than Magnolia.

As it stands, every Wooden Birds song plods along with a near-identical gait.

Don’t believe me? Visit The Wooden Birds’ Myspace page. Listen to the first 10 seconds of “Sugar.” Listen to the first 10 seconds of “False Alarm.” See what I mean?

If I’m sad, maybe it’s because all of The Wooden Birds’ songs sound like an apology without actually sounding apologetic…but maybe that’s too critical.

Not even American Analog Set started with Know By Heart.

[The Wooden Birds' Myspace, American Analog Set's Know By Heart]

  1. 4 Responses to “I Love You, But Not This: #1 The Wooden Birds – Magnolia (2009)”

  2. By Noel on May 22, 2009

    If you didn't have the American Analog Set or even Ben Gibbard to compare the Wooden Birds to, I wonder if your opinion would be different. If Andrew Kenny wanted to progress on the Analog Set style, the new material would still have the Analog Set name. The Wooden Birds step in a different direction, not trying break any new mind-blowing ground, boasting amazing 'percussive' leaps and bounds, but to just write good, simple music in the Andrew Kenny style that we love and adore. Do you criticize Ben Gibbard's solo work or the Postal Service because it's missing the ingredients of Death Cab or vice versa? Hopefully it is all appreciated for Ben's lovely and acclaimed songwriting. As a true fan of the Analog Set and Andrew Kenny's songwriting, I love the Wooden Birds. That's the problem with the ADD audiences these days, they're so overdosed with saturated indie music trying to captivate critics with next 'original' thing that they can't step back and appreciate the organic flavor of simple, stripped-down music, without the unnecessary spices and garnish. I wonder if Heatmiser were more popular before Elliott Smith's career, if he would have been criticized, too. I've heard some of the Analog Set demos, many of which started out like the Wooden Birds recordings, and in some cases I liked the demos better than the record versions. If you want to talk about samey, listen to the first three Analog Set records and you'll notice that same consistency you speak of way more, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Furthermore, but to compare Andrew Kenny to Ben Gibbard is just uneducated. Kenny doesn't copy Gibbard's timbre. Andrew has been singing and making records longer than Ben. If I'm not mistaken, I believe Death Cab even opened up for the Analog Set way back in the day. Both are fabulous singers and friends who respect each other and to turn their voices against one another in a review is, well, naive. No offense. Open up your heart and mind a little and maybe you'll see that the Wooden Birds songs are pretty charming. If not, eh, everyone's entitled to their own opinion. You can't convince someone to enjoy sushi if their palette is used to meat and potatoes. Btw, I recall seeing that Thunderbird bass with the 'shoot you' label in the hands of the American Analog Set bassist for many years.

  3. By rahawa on May 26, 2009

    Noel,

    Thank you. Clearly you put a great deal of time and thought into your comment, and I appreciate hearing feedback from fans of Andrew Kenny's numerous projects. I would like to point out, however, that at no point did I compare Kenny to Ben Gibbard. As stated early on, one of my primary reasons for drafting this post was because so many other music sites were using the Gibbard/Young comparisons to easily classify and file away The Wooden Birds, and I believed Kenny and crew deserved better. I still do.

    The problem seems to lie in our differening opinions regarding Kenny's direction. You believe The Wooden Birds traverse new frontiers; I wholeheartedly disagree. Stripping instruments, simplifying arrangements and slowing songs that could easily fit into American Analog Set's (AAS) catalog is not enough of a gesture for me to view The Wooden Birds as standing independent of Kenny's former project.

    The Wooden Birds needn't create new genres, accomplish outstanding percussive feats or instrumental acrobatics to shine in the eyes and ears of people who've eagerly awaited a new project from Kenny for the previous four years. All I ask is that they sound like themselves — whatever that sound may be — because I would very much like to discover and experience the result. Ben Gibbard accomplished this feat with The Postal Service, a band significantly distinct from Death Cab in more ways than one (song creation, sound, instrumentation, etc). Congratulations if you can hear this departure from AAS in The Wooden Birds; as of now, I cannot.

    To be clear, I'm familiar with American Analog Set's early work, though I admittedly cannot attest to enduring The Fun Of Watching Fireworks' 10-minute-long “On My Way” more than a handful of times. And while the first few albums may sound similar where their qualities are concerned, in no way do they sound similar in content, and never the latter for multiple songs across an individual LP.

    Kenny is not one for aural garnishes, and I understand your disenchantment with bands that clutter their songs in an attempt to sculpt them. What is present in virtually all of Kenny's works are hooks. Moving lyrical delivery. Skillful manipulation of his heartbreaking vocal timbre and the interplay between instruments. I believe The Wooden Birds capable of incorporating these fine qualities into their music; I believe Magnolia does not.

    For the record, American Analog Set's Know By Heart is one of my 10 favorite albums. I love Kenny's music. Violently. In no way was this post meant as a device for getting others to lose their enchantment with The Wooden Birds, and I apologize if it came across in such a manner. I will word my pre-post disclaimer more carefully in the future.

    And you're right: Kenny's had that bass for years. It was my first time viewing it, though. Has he had it since before 2000? If so, some editing may be in order.

    Rahawa

  4. By Frederick Foxtrott on Jun 5, 2009

    I am slightly amused at myself and others. When speaking to the drummer of Limbic System outside of Mercury Lounge, a few of my friends mentioned that they were so impressed with Limbic System but slightly disappointed with The Wooden Birds because of their tranquilizing chillness. I mean why juxtapose an energetic and epic opener with a sedative? I mean even if The Wooden Birds were good, which I am absolutely sure they were, why mismatch the energy levels so completely? We the answer my friends is because the drummer of Limbic (pictured above left) System is also the founding drummer of Wooden Birds. This dude nodded his head, kindly listening to a group of drunk assholes rag on his band. Now this is not entirely bad, because these people were ragging on one band but lauding the other. But in the end I think he actually agreed with the criticism.

    The point, moral if you will, of the story is not “Limbic System rules and Wooden Birds suck,” but rather watch what you say outside of venues, you never know who is stepping out for a cigarette.

    frederickfoxtrott.com

  5. By Ben on Aug 28, 2009

    Wow, you are right. I previewed the Wooden Birds album on iTunes, and if you take away the vocals most of the songs sound exactly the same. I was hoping it wouldn't be true, but it is :( What a disappointment.

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