"Pine Trees & The Faint Sound Of Buzzing"
Heavybird's New Album
You know Heavybird aka Evan Glenn Adams at least since my interview with the multi-instrumentalist last year. Now the time has come: Evan has finished his new album "Pine Trees & The Faint Sound Of Buzzing". He will release it on March, 19th and I had the chance to listen to it now.
After "it Hurts & it Heals" from 2015 and "The Search" from 2017, Heavybird strikes new notes with "Pine Trees & The Faint Sound Of Buzzing". Evan's philosophical lyrics reflect our contemporary times very graphically. Simultaneously, the record invites you to tune out pleasantly, as you are used to from Heavybird's musical works.
The prelude "Karmic Wheel" comes along playful and also well-considered. The piece makes me dream – while listening to it, and I become more and more curious about how the record will continue.
Heavybird now comes with cello and viola
"Pine Trees & The Faint Sound Of Buzzing" by Heavybird"No Question" is undoubtedly one of those pieces that you listen to over and over again without getting tired of it. I adore the cello. Above it, all lie Evan's vocals –sustained and powerful at once.
"Open Your Eyes" starts nicely twisted. It partly reminds me of No Wave bands like Sonic Youth. The punky borrowings take me back to a time I'd like to experience again for an evening at least every now and then.
The thoughtful to sad "Please (Don't Tell)" is about the careless and brutal way we humans treat our planet.
Human nature and the environment
"Every day they hey through their plastic into the ocean. Every day they drop bombs on unsuspected children..."
The lyrics speak for themselves. Evan calls for activism in a very compassionate way. He tells us not to close our eyes to the violence and pollution and the misery and torment.
Finest indie with clear influences from the grunge world of the 1990s suits Heavybird very well. I frankly wish we would have more music of this kind in our times.
Music from a new world
The fifth track "Shadows" seems to come from another world. "Yellow Sub Marine" in the desert of the 22nd century. Between the shadows, sunbeams show up again and again.
The highlight of the album for me is "For A Drive". What does this piece remind me of? That does not occur to me. Probably it just suits me insanely well. It is a road movie of a song. I listen to it over and over again. The sudden beginning cello play somehow brings order in the wake of the wacky guitar vibrato. The waves smooth out – a great song.
"Cracks & Breaks" seems to be very thoughtful again. It is very remarkable, though. Viola sounds mix with guitar. Distortion. A bass sets in carries the piece away and beds it gently.
Hopeful sounds and a felicitous finale
Heavybird aka Evan Glenn AdamsThe song "Dandelion" sounds hopeful. Vocally, it reminds me a bit of Radiohead. Evan's voice flirts with the viola. The extraordinary interplay for me is the harmonic counterpart to "Open Your Eyes". The narrative style rounds it off perfectly.
Evan closes with "Light, At The End." Is there a light at the end of the tunnel? I think so. Behind a cloud of happy guitar and viola playing, you can glimpse distant conversations. One day we will all meet again on a big colourful flower meadow. Then we will laugh together, embrace each other and toast to our lives.
"I hired a bass player, a viola player and a cellist for the new album, all of whom contributed wonderful things that I would never have dared to dream of",
Evan told me in our interview. And I have to agree with him here without a doubt. But not only the guest musicians have done a great job. Overall, the album is very well composed, perfectly mixed, with exciting phases, sometimes playfully and sometimes straight. This is exactly how music should be. An excellent record, which is worth pre-ordering. One thing I can tell you clearly: you should definitely enjoy it in its entirety. You can check out the first Single "Karmic Wheel" here: