Birds Say

Darlingside are doing something new in pop music, which is kind of astonishing this late in the game (ground the Beach Boys, Beatles, Joni Mitchell, Pink Floyd, David Bowie, Talking Heads, Prince, Phish, and Radiohead didn't cover is hard to find.) - The Boston Herald Darlingside (Don Mitchell, Auyon Mukharji, Harris Paseltiner, and David Senft) are a Massachusetts-based ensemble whose sound is an eclectic blend of 60s folk, clever wry wit, classical arrangements, soaring harmonies, and a modern indie-rock sensibility. On Birds Say, Darlingside breathe life into a collection of cinematic, intelligent, and deeply moving songs. The four vocalists and multiinstrumentalists construct every piece collaboratively, pooling ideas so that each song bears the imprint of four different writing voices. Playful vocal permutations swing from four-part unison to CSNY-inspired group harmonies, underpinned by rich, carefully crafted soundscapes. The band's penchant for smashing electronic sounds with traditional acoustic textures-often bowed or plucked strings on a bed of ambient guitar swells and self-oscillating delays-shines throughout the album. The final product threads the collective memory of the four songwriters, nodding to the music of their parents' generation while establishing a sound that is all their own.