45. Enjoyable Listens: Trapped In the Cage of a Hateful Bird

Released: April 2024

Chosen By: Paul

Comments - 

Dean: I liked it Paul. It has something reminiscent of Black's 'wonderful life'. I was a shy admirer and a little slow to embrace it. I found it uplifting without the design to be such. It is a little limited in terms of diversity but nevertheless enjoyable. I felt mostly uncomfortable liking the last western leaning offering which actually gave me a great pleasure, cemented by the dog bark. I must surely becoming a soft touch.

Not quite yet sure about delivering a star. I'll give it more ear time. Not sure about what this process is doing to/for me but I'm intrigued. Thanks for the directions.

Ben: I struggled with my first couple of listens - I found his voice too croony and missed any sign of an electric guitar. But now I’ve become familiar with the tunes I’m quite enjoying them, specially the upbeat ones. Weird lyrics at times - putting diesel into a petrol engine - the imagery of that overshadowed the song a bit for me - but is that what the artist is trying to do?? Overall I guess it’s ok but I do find the synths a bit mushy for repeated listening - the last track gets a bit more real. The brevity is good!

Paul: I wanted to choose this after seeing them live a few months ago. I was intrigued too and wondered how their live act might translate to record. It misses their singer's chat between tracks. He had a bunch of interesting and humorous stories to introduce the songs and they seem flatter, more reserved, without those. 

Dean and Ben are right about 'International Space Station' being a highlight but I love 'Tear Up the Pictures of my Kids', you can see how the "kick their faces in" refrain would work live! And as with the car lyric Ben mentions does the singer want to do bad things to squirrels or are we in metaphor territory? Overall, I like it but don't love it and I wonder whether they'll 'take the handbrake off' in the future.

Stu: I’ve listened to this LP twice and the only thing that keeps coming to my mind is other people it sounds like!! Destroyer, Drugdealer, Nick Cave and more. It’s an ok listen and I should like the voice BUT I can’t see past Paul Quinn of BOURGIE BOURGIE! It simply falls well down the list of LPS I want to listen to. I play 3 LPS a day and these recommendations have plenty of competition!