Brooklyn's Railbird premieres their Lucky EP alongside of it's release today, showcasing the creative development of the group working on their sophomore full length. The following three songs present front woman Sarah Pedinotti's latest update from last year's album debut No One, where both grateful and playful musical tropes work alongside lyrics of self-assertion, relationship quandries, sentimentality and the creative power of confidence wining out over all.
Entering with triumphant expressions in the face of disaster is the opener, “Lucky”, bringing a fresh sound and motions of fortuitous gratitude. “All that is holy, my one and only, disaster triumphant, all the things we do breathe in, in this lucky equation”, marks Railbird's emergence from the shadows of obscurity, traversing the strong currents according to the compass of their own shadow. Between Sarah's story telling, the treble ring of the guitars run parallel lines and sometimes butt against the head nodding drums that get to duke it during the closing, climatic build. What is clear from the song and sound is a statement of autonomy from a group unrestrained by any force other than themselves. “Free from fear the sovereign man, disaster triumphant!”
“Jump Ship” features vocal appearances from Phantogram's Sarah Barthel and Sean Rowe, also set to visuals in the recent Margaret Lewis directed video. The two Sarahs and Sean sing the narrative in rounds, “And the lines do form, around your eyes, watch you getting older, while the breath does rise, and I say 'hello', invisible to you, now I have arrived and I realize, I am alive, I am alive!” Like the realizations of talents and powers of “Lucky”, with extra production from Jeremy Gustin at Black Dog Studios, the moment of decision can be heard amid a sea of voices strengthening Pedinotti and company's resolve. “We alone, threw the stones, and now we've grown, never to return, I heard the sigh, you never cried 'jump ship', when everyone's down to look left, I look right on track, look up and I look down and jump ship…”
“MIRRORs” is the latest single from the EP to emerge from the past week that represents the sentimental side of Railbird. Sarah examines and re-examines both perspectives and sides of a relationship explored in terms of what each party observes or fails to observe in the other person. “It's coming through now very clear, I can see what hides there in the mirror, you cannot be what you are to me, you cannot see what you do to me”. With the assisting star bursts of guitar, Pedinotti's multi-tracked vocals drape the unmet embraces and pain as a songbird choir of one.”How can I be sure, I'll know what to do? I cannot afford to hold on to you”. The sonic achievements of “MIRRORs” point to not only Railbird's creative ambitious advances, but are a testament to the mixing from Jonathan Jetter at Right Angle Recording NY, or Jonathan Wyner's mastering courtesy of Cambridge, MA M-Works Studios. We look forward to the full length follow up to No One coming perchance in 2013.
Railbird releases their Lucky EP today via Bandcamp.
